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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 126-150 of 331 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor H-42 10-in. 1/7/1911 Perjura Colombo y Marín Male vocal duet, with mandolin and guitar composer, lyricist  
Victor H-43 10-in. 1/7/1911 Mujer buena ... no hay ninguna Colombo y Marín Male vocal duet, with mandolin and guitar composer  
Victor X-49 10-in. 4/7/1924 Jamás te olvido Moreno y Gallo Vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Victor X-50 10-in. 4/7/1924 La ví rezando Heliodoro Martínez ; Mariano Meléndez Male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Victor X-51 10-in. 4/7/1924 Yo debiera matarte Heliodoro Martínez ; Mariano Meléndez Male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Victor X-52 10-in. 4/7/1924 Un falso amor Blanca Becerra ; Hortensia Valerón Female vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Victor X-55 10-in. 4/14/1925 Mujer de fuego Augusto Castillo ; Rafael Torres Male vocal duet, with guitar composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor O-60 10-in. 3/7/1907 La queja Adolfo Colombo ; Pilar Jiménez Male vocal duet, with string quartet composer, lyricist  
Victor O-68 10-in. 3/8/1907 Punto cubano á Matanzas Adolfo Colombo ; Pilar Jiménez Vocal duet, with bandurría and guitar composer, lyricist  
Victor O-82 10-in. 3/11/1907 La palma—á Máximo Gómez Adolfo Colombo ; Pilar Jiménez Vocal duet, with 2 bandurrías and guitar composer, lyricist  
Victor O-83 10-in. 3/11/1907 Cuba Adolfo Colombo ; Pilar Jiménez Female-male vocal duet, with 2 bandurrías and guitar composer, lyricist  
Victor O-86 10-in. 3/11/1907 Pasillo colombiano Trío Instrumental [Victor Records; Cuba] Instrumental trio instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor L-91 10-in. 3/21/1913 De chaparro a la Habana Ofelia Rivas ; Blanca Vázquez Female vocal duet, with mandolin and guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor L-92 10-in. 3/21/1913 Yo sé como eres tú Ofelia Rivas ; Blanca Vázquez Female vocal duet, with mandolin and guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor L-93 10-in. 3/21/1913 El comprador de botellas Ofelia Rivas ; Blanca Vázquez Female vocal duet, with mandolin and guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor L-94 10-in. 3/21/1913 La cita Ofelia Rivas ; Blanca Vázquez Female vocal duet, with mandolin and guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor L-95 10-in. 3/21/1913 La tormenta Ofelia Rivas ; Blanca Vázquez Female vocal duet, with mandolin and guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor L-96 10-in. 3/21/1913 Deseos Adolfo Colombo ; Claudio García Mixed vocal trio, with mandolin and guitar composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor L-97 10-in. 3/21/1913 Morir de amor Adolfo Colombo ; Claudio García Mixed vocal trio, with mandolin and guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor L-98 10-in. 3/21/1913 Tus ojos negros Adolfo Colombo ; Claudio García Mixed vocal trio, with mandolin and guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor L-99 10-in. 3/21/1913 Hatuey y Guarina Adolfo Colombo ; Claudio García Mixed vocal trio, with mandolin and guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor L-100 10-in. 3/21/1913 El cucalambé Adolfo Colombo ; Claudio García Mixed vocal trio, with mandolin and guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor L-101 10-in. 3/21/1913 El primer beso Adolfo Colombo ; Claudio García Mixed vocal trio, with mandolin and guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor L-102 10-in. 3/21/1913 Misterios Adolfo Colombo ; Claudio García Mixed vocal trio, with mandolin and guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor L-103 10-in. 3/22/1913 Lola Blanca Vázquez ; F. Villamil Female-male vocal duet, with mandolin and guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
(Results 126-150 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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