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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 276-300 of 331 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia W96648 10-in. July 1928 Coco y mái : Son Sexteto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W96649 10-in. July 1928 Dónde vas con el robo : Son Sexteto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W96650 10-in. July 1928 El alba cubana : Son Sexteto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W96651 10-in. July 1928 A cuerda limpia : Son Sexteto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W96652 10-in. July 1928 Acordes de bongó : Son Sexteto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W96657 10-in. July 1928 Morir Amando : Bolero Cruz y León Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Columbia W96658 10-in. July 1928 Corazón de mármol : Bolero Cruz y León Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Columbia W96659 10-in. July 1928 Amor oculto : Canción Cruz y León Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Columbia W96660 10-in. July 1928 Por matar el hastío : Capricho cubano Cruz y León Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Columbia W96661 10-in. July 1928 María Teresa : Criolla Cruz y León Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W96662 10-in. July 1928 Las flores : Bambuco Cruz y León Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W96663 10-in. July 1928 Yo qué haré : Bolero Cruz y León Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W96664 10-in. July 1928 Tu no sabes amar : Romanza Cruz y León Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Columbia W96665 10-in. July 1928 Cuba y sus palmares : Punto guajiro Juan De la Cruz ; Tomasita Nuñez Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Columbia W96666 10-in. July 1928 ¡Pepillito!... Sexteto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W96667 10-in. July 1928 No me des con la goma : Son Sexteto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W96668 10-in. July 1928 Los viudos quieres ternar : Son Sexteto Nacional Vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W96670 10-in. July 1928 Simbolismo : Criolla Juan De la Cruz ; Tomasita Nuñez Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Columbia W96674 10-in. July 1928 Amar en secreto Francisco González Solares ; Alberto Villalón Morales Trés with guitar composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W97169 10-in. May 1929 Inconsciencia : Bolero María Cervantes Female vocal solo, with piano composer  
Columbia W97200 10-in. June 1929 Penas y flores : Bolero María Cervantes ; Tomasita Nuñez Vocal duet with piano composer  
Brunswick 11398-11400 10-in. 9/24/1923 Juramento sagrado Villalon Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, guitar  
Brunswick 11401-11403 10-in. 9/24/1923 Pesares y alegria Villalon Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, guitar  
Brunswick 11404-11405 10-in. 9/24/1923 Querete simpre Villalon Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, guitar  
Brunswick 11406-11407 10-in. 9/24/1923 Rita Villalon Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, guitar  
(Results 276-300 of 331 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Villalón Morales, Alberto," accessed May 1, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113130.

Villalón Morales, Alberto. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 1, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113130.

"Villalón Morales, Alberto." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 1 May 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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