Nilo Menéndez
Nilo Menéndez Barnet (26 September 1902 – 15 September 1987) was a Cuban-born naturalized American songwriter. Born in Matanzas in 1902, Menéndez came to the United States in 1924 when he was 22. He wrote his best known song "Aquellos Ojos Verdes" in 1929 and was recorded several times by Latin artists and translated into English in 1931. The song became a major hit when Jimmy Dorsey recorded it as "Green Eyes" around 1941. Menéndez died in Burbank, California in 1987. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Matanzas (capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas), Died September 15, 1987 (Burbank (city in Los Angeles County, State of California, United States) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1925 - 1947
Roles Represented in DAHR: leader, piano, composer, vocalist, songwriter, arranger, lyricist
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 101-125 of 181 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | W95594 | 10-in. | approximately April 1927 | Las cuatro milpas | Orquesta Nilo Menéndez | Instrumental ensemble | leader | |
| Columbia | W95595 | 10-in. | approximately April 1927 | Un nuevo amor | Orquesta Nilo Menéndez | Instrumental ensemble | leader | |
| Columbia | W95613 | 10-in. | approximately May 1927 | Vals de otoño | Rafael Galindo | Violin solo | composer | |
| Columbia | W96081 | 10-in. | approximately January 1928 | Si en tus persianas : Habanera | Orquesta Nilo Menéndez | Instrumental ensemble | leader | |
| Columbia | W96295 | 10-in. | 1928 | Nena | Orquesta Nilo Menéndez | Instrumental ensemble | leader | |
| Columbia | W96296 | 10-in. | 1928 | Los enmascarados | Orquesta Nilo Menéndez | Instrumental ensemble | leader | |
| Columbia | W96307 | 10-in. | approximately January 1928 | El primer beso : Vals | Orquesta Nilo Menéndez | Instrumental ensemble | leader | |
| Columbia | W96308 | 10-in. | April 1928 | Santiago : Merengue | Orquesta Nilo Menéndez | Instrumental ensemble | leader | |
| Columbia | W96487 | 10-in. | April 1928 | Dulce recuerdo : Vals Lento | Orquesta Nilo Menéndez | Instrumental ensemble | leader | |
| Columbia | W96684 | 10-in. | August 1928 | Palmira | Rafael Betancourt ; Nilo Menéndez ; Rita Montaner | Female vocal solo, with 2 pianos | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Columbia | W96686 | 10-in. | August 1928 | Claveles rosados : Canción | Rafael Betancourt ; Nilo Menéndez ; Rita Montaner | Female vocal solo, with 2 pianos | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Columbia | W96694 | 10-in. | August 1928 | Rumba guajira | Rafael Betancourt ; Nilo Menéndez ; Rita Montaner | Female vocal solo, with 2 pianos | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Columbia | W96696 | 10-in. | August 1928 | Lupisamba o yuca y ñame : Tango congo | Rafael Betancourt ; Nilo Menéndez ; Rita Montaner | Female vocal solo, with 2 pianos | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Columbia | W96796 | 10-in. | October 1928 | Una noche más pasó | El Trovador Romántico | Male vocal solo, with piano | composer | |
| Columbia | W96821 | 10-in. | October 1928 | De aquí p'allá : Danzón | Orquesta Nilo Menéndez | Instrumental ensemble | leader | |
| Columbia | W96822 | 10-in. | October 1928 | El país de las botellas | Orquesta Típica Criolla | Instrumental ensemble | leader | |
| Columbia | W96823 | 10-in. | October 1928 | Doctor Alemán : Danzón | Orquesta Típica Criolla ; Adolfo Utrera | Instrumental ensemble | leader | |
| Columbia | W96858 | 10-in. | November 1928 | Una noche más pasó | Guty Cárdenas ; Joseph M. Lacalle ; Orquesta Viva-tonal | Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo | composer | |
| Columbia | W96888 | 10-in. | December 1928 | Ola | Quarteto Guty Cárdenas | Vocal quartet, with piano | composer | |
| Columbia | W96892 | 10-in. | December 1928 | Confesión : Canción | Guty y Utrera | Vocal duet with piano | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Columbia | W97015 | 10-in. | March 1929 | Cantar gitano | Adolfo Utrera | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
| Columbia | W97019 | 10-in. | March 1929 | Aunque no pueda vivir sin tí : Canción bolero | Tomasita Nuñez | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
| Columbia | W97026 | 10-in. | March 1929 | Don Pancho y Ramona : Danzón | Orquesta Nilo Menéndez | Instrumental ensemble | leader | |
| Columbia | W97027 | 10-in. | March 1929 | Bien me lo decía Inés : Danzón | Orquesta Nilo Menéndez | Instrumental ensemble | leader | |
| Columbia | W97028 | 10-in. | March 1929 | Bongé, las mujeres son : Danzón dominicano | Orquesta Nilo Menéndez | Instrumental ensemble | leader |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Menéndez, Nilo," accessed January 6, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109918.
Menéndez, Nilo. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 6, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109918.
"Menéndez, Nilo." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 6 January 2026.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Nilo Menéndez
Discogs: Nilo Menéndez
Allmusic: Nilo Menéndez
IMDb: Nilo Menéndez
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Menéndez, Nilo, 1902-1987 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no94002173
Wikidata: Nilo Menéndez - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q16011934
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/10031748
MusicBrainz: Nilo Menéndez - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/f31a197d-07cb-4936-b08d-16e8f34291b8
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