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Ignacio Piñeiro

Ignacio Piñeiro Martínez (May 21, 1888 – March 12, 1969) was a Cuban musician, bandleader and composer whose career started in rumba and flowered in the rise of the son. He was one of the most important composers of son music; in total he wrote about 327 numbers, mostly sones.

Piñeiro was a brilliant rumbero who worked with musical groups from 1903 onwards. In 1906, was a member of the Timbre de Oro coro de clave y guaguancó (a vocal group precursor of contemporary guaguancó), and later directed Los Roncos, another famous coro de guaguancó. He was taught the double bass by María Teresa Vera, and in 1926 he was a member of her band, Sexteto Occidente, which recorded in New York City. In 1927 he founded the Sexteto Nacional de Ignacio Piñeiro, later simply known as Sexteto Nacional, in which he was the director and songwriter. With the addition of a trumpet the band became the Septeto Nacional.

For financial reasons, Piñeiro quit the group in 1935; it was then led by trumpet player Lázaro Herrera until the group disbanded in 1937. Piñeiro became for some years the leader and principal songwriter of Los Roncos. The Septeto Nacional was recreated several times from 1954 onwards, initially under Piñeiro's direction, and it continues to perform.

Piñeiro's composition "Échale salsita" (written on a train to Chicago in 1930, and the first song use of the world "salsa" in son) influenced George Gershwin's Cuban Overture. The two met when Gershwin visited Cuba in February 1932. Many of Piñeiro's songs have been performed by other artists like Ray Barretto ("Don Lengua") and René Álvarez ("A la lae la la"). In 1999, Piñeiro was posthumously inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.

Birth and Death Data: Born May 21, 1888 (Havana), Died March 12, 1969 (Havana)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1916 - 1952

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, string bass, director, lyricist, leader, songwriter

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 158 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BVE-33424 10-in. 9/21/1925 Los curas gallegos Juan De la Cruz ; Bienvenido León Male vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Victor BVE-33425 10-in. 9/21/1925 Marcha carabalí Juan De la Cruz ; Bienvenido León Male vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Victor BVE-40633 10-in. 10/20/1927 Esas no son Cubanas Sexteto Habanero Vocal and instrumental sextet composer  
Victor BVE-45533 10-in. 5/29/1928 No juegues con los santos Sexteto Habanero Vocal and instrumental ensemble composer  
Victor BVE-45534 10-in. 5/29/1928 Alma guajira Sexteto Habanero Vocal and instrumental ensemble composer  
Victor BVE-62792 10-in. 7/14/1930 Suavecito Cuarteto Machín Vocal and instrumental ensemble composer  
Victor BVE-62794 10-in. 7/14/1930 Llegó la tora Cuarteto Machín Vocal and instrumental ensemble composer  
Victor BVE-63394 10-in. 10/15/1930 Nació en oriente Cuarteto Machín Vocal and instrumental ensemble lyricist, composer  
Victor BVE-63641 10-in. 9/11/1930 No se sabe como vive Cuarteto Machín Vocal and instrumental quartet composer  
Victor BVE-63642 10-in. 9/11/1930 Dámelo Cuarteto Machín Vocal and instrumental quartet composer  
Victor BVE-64374 10-in. 11/25/1930 La mulata cubana Cuarteto Machín Vocal and instrumental ensemble songwriter  
Victor XVE-67187 10-in. 2/27/1931 Son que quita las penas Septeto Nacional Instrumental ensemble composer  
Victor XVE-67188 10-in. 2/27/1931 Entre preciosos palmares Septeto Nacional Instrumental ensemble composer  
Victor XVE-67189 10-in. 2/27/1931 Que bonito es Septeto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble composer  
Victor XVE-67190 10-in. 2/27/1931 A cogerlo Septeto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble composer  
Victor PBS-68430 10-in. 2/9/1933 La cachimba de San Juan Carlos Molina Orchestra Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal duet; with male vocal solo composer  
Victor BRC-70288 10-in. 10/15/1931 La cachimba de San Juan Cuarteto Machín Vocal and instrumental quartet composer  
Victor BS-73520 10-in. 9/16/1932 Buey viejo Cuarteto Machín Vocal and instrumental ensemble lyricist, composer  
Victor BS-73521 10-in. 9/16/1932 Busca el alfiler Cuarteto Machín Vocal and instrumental ensemble lyricist, composer  
Victor BVE-73565 10-in. 9/23/1932 Entre tinieblas Cuarteto Machín Vocal and instrumental quartet lyricist, composer  
Victor BS-73580 10-in. 9/26/1932 Don lengua Cuarteto Machín Vocal and instrumental ensemble lyricist, composer  
Victor BS-73786 10-in. 10/7/1932 Mentira Salomé Cuarteto Machín Vocal and instrumental ensemble lyricist, composer  
Victor BS-73788 10-in. 10/7/1932 Misionera Cuarteto Machín Vocal and instrumental ensemble lyricist, composer  
Victor BS-75331 10-in. 2/28/1933 El castigador Cuarteto Machín Vocal and instrumental quartet lyricist, composer  
Victor BS-75333 10-in. 2/28/1933 Échale salsita Cuarteto Machín Vocal and instrumental quartet lyricist, composer  
(Results 1-25 of 158 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Piñeiro, Ignacio," accessed April 19, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109682.

Piñeiro, Ignacio. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 19, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109682.

"Piñeiro, Ignacio." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 19 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109682

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