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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 26-50 of 331 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-12483 10-in. 10/4/1912 Adán y Eva Regino y Colombo Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-12484 10-in. 10/4/1912 Corazón de nieve Regino y Colombo Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-12485 10-in. 10/4/1912 El dulcero Adolfo Colombo ; Regino López Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-12486 10-in. 10/4/1912 Se vá covadonga Adolfo Colombo ; Regino López Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-12488 10-in. 10/4/1912 Á Matanzas Adolfo Colombo ; Regino López Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-12489 10-in. 10/5/1912 Vengo a decirte Regino y Colombo Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-12490 10-in. 10/5/1912 Por qué te he conocido? Regino y Colombo Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-12491 10-in. 10/5/1912 La tarde Regino y Colombo Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-12492 10-in. 10/5/1912 Caballería criolla Regino y Colombo Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-13781 10-in. 9/15/1913 Ayes de mi alma Adolfo Colombo ; Regino López Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor B-13782 10-in. 9/15/1913 Mi estancia Adolfo Colombo ; Regino López Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor B-13783 10-in. 9/15/1913 ¿Hasta cuando? Adolfo Colombo ; Regino López Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor B-13784 10-in. 9/15/1913 Regino bailando Adolfo Colombo ; Regino López Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor B-13785 10-in. 9/15/1913 Mis ansias Adolfo Colombo ; Regino López Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor B-13786 10-in. 9/15/1913 Achui bongo Adolfo Colombo ; Regino López Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor B-13787 10-in. 9/15/1913 La sandunguera cubana Adolfo Colombo ; Regino López Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor B-13788 10-in. 9/15/1913 Ingratitud Adolfo Colombo ; Regino López Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor B-13789 10-in. 9/15/1913 Duerme tranquila Adolfo Colombo ; Regino López Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor B-13790 10-in. 9/15/1913 Dame tu corazón Adolfo Colombo ; Regino López Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor B-13791 10-in. 9/15/1913 Que tienes en tus lábios? Adolfo Colombo ; Regino López Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-13792 10-in. 9/15/1913 La llave Adolfo Colombo ; Regino López Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor B-13795 10-in. 9/16/1913 El florero Adolfo Colombo ; Regino López Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor B-13796 10-in. 9/16/1913 Poema Adolfo Colombo ; Regino López Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor B-13797 10-in. 9/16/1913 Yo quisiera Adolfo Colombo ; Regino López Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor B-13798 10-in. 9/16/1913 A tí Adolfo Colombo ; Regino López Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
(Results 26-50 of 331 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Villalón Morales, Alberto," accessed April 26, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113130.

Villalón Morales, Alberto. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 26, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113130.

"Villalón Morales, Alberto." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 26 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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