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Alberto Villalón Morales

Alberto Villalón Morales (Santiago de Cuba, 7 June 1882 – Havana, 16 July 1955) was one of the greatest musicians in the Cuban trova style.

He was the only one of the 'four greats' of the trova to come from a well-to-do family. Villalón and his sister América studied guitar with Pepe Sánchez, the father of the trova movement. Later, he studied classical guitar to achieve a really excellent technique. He composed his first canciones and boleros at fourteen, and moved to Havana in 1900. In 1907 he recorded on Edison cylinders. In 1908 he formed the Cuarteto Villalón with Adolfo Colombo (tenor), Claudio García (baritone), Emilio Reinoso (mandolin), and Alberto Villalón (guitar). Colombo and García were regular members of the Teatro Alhambra company; Colombo was the most recorded singer of the age.

A difference between Villalón and the other early trovadors was in his guitar technique. With his training he preferred picking (punteado) instead of strumming (rasgueado), which had been the main technique previously. This gave him a wider range of harmonic possibilities and a characteristic style. He had a second career in 1927 when he became a founding member of the Septeto Nacional de Ignacio Piñeiro. Alberto brought into the septet Juan de la Cruz and Benvenido León, who had been playing with him in a trio. The addition of the first really great sonero, Abelardo Barroso (1905 – 1972), made the Nacional the best group in Cuba for its time.

Villalón's career, then, connected the world of trova with the world of son which became central to Cuba's popular music for the rest of the century.

Birth and Death Data: Born June 7, 1882 (Santiago de Cuba), Died July 16, 1955

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1906 - 1940

Roles Represented in DAHR: guitar, composer, lyricist

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

Recordings (Results 226-250 of 331 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia W93963 10-in. September 1925 La chaparrita o Mario Mayoca : Son Cruz, Bienvenido y Villalon Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W93964 10-in. October 1925 En la loma de Santiago Cruz, Bienvenido y Villalon Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Columbia W93966 10-in. October 1925 Santiaguera Cruz, Bienvenido y Villalon Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Columbia W93968 10-in. October 1925 Ofrenda de amor Cruz, Bienvenido y Villalon Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Columbia W95934 10-in. October 1927 Fernanda : Son Sexteto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W95935 10-in. October 1927 Ésas no son cubanas Sexteto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W95936 10-in. October 1927 Bu bu rum barará : Son Sexteto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W95937 10-in. October 1927 Cubaneo Sexteto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W95938 10-in. October 1927 Errante por el mundo voy : Son Sexteto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W95939 10-in. October 1927 Rosa roja : Son Sexteto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W95940 10-in. October 1927 El rey de los bongoseros Sexteto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W95941 10-in. October 1927 No hagan ruido : Son Sexteto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W95942 10-in. October 1927 Las cuatro palomas : Son Sexteto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W95943 10-in. October 1927 Pobrecita loca : Son Sexteto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W95944 10-in. October 1927 Contestación a aurora : Son Sexteto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W95945 10-in. October 1927 Sube y baja : Son Sexteto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W95946 10-in. October 1927 Reliquias de amor : Son Sexteto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W95947 10-in. October 1927 Por un beso de tu boca Sexteto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W95948 10-in. October 1927 Fuga de amor : Son Sexteto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W95949 10-in. October 1927 Virulilla, virulilla Sexteto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W95950 10-in. October 1927 Mamá se quema la maya Sexteto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W95951 10-in. October 1927 Que no se queme la habana : Son Sexteto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W95952 10-in. October 1927 Regalo mi corazón : Son Sexteto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W95953 10-in. October 1927 Has perdido mi amor : Son Sexteto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W95959 10-in. October 1927 Cuando se aleja la tarde : Bolero Cruz, Bienvenido y Villalon Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
(Results 226-250 of 331 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Villalón Morales, Alberto," accessed April 25, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113130.

Villalón Morales, Alberto. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 25, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113130.

"Villalón Morales, Alberto." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113130

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