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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 151-175 of 331 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor L-104 10-in. 3/22/1913 Calma mi amor Blanca Vázquez ; F. Villamil Female-male vocal duet, with mandolin and guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor L-105 10-in. 3/22/1913 Playera Blanca Vázquez ; F. Villamil Female-male vocal duet, with mandolin and guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor L-106 10-in. 3/22/1913 Poema del nido Blanca Vázquez ; F. Villamil Female-male vocal duet, with mandolin and guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor L-107 10-in. 3/22/1913 ¿En dónde estás? Blanca Vázquez ; F. Villamil Female-male vocal duet, with mandolin and guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor L-108 10-in. 3/22/1913 Yo vivo por verte Blanca Vázquez ; F. Villamil Female-male vocal duet, with mandolin and guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor L-109 10-in. 3/22/1913 La mulata María Blanca Vázquez Female vocal solo, with mandolin and guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor H-119 10-in. 1/24/1911 María Jiménez y Marín Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Victor H-123 10-in. 1/24/1911 La Antonia Jiménez y Marín Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor L-124 10-in. 3/25/1913 Mis cantares Adolfo Colombo ; Claudio García ; Pilar Jiménez Mixed vocal trio, with mandolin and guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor L-125 10-in. 3/25/1913 Á la luna Adolfo Colombo ; Pilar Jiménez Female-male vocal duet, with mandolin and guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor L-126 10-in. 3/25/1913 Desdichas Adolfo Colombo ; Pilar Jiménez Female-male vocal duet, with mandolin and guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor L-127 10-in. 3/25/1913 Mi delirio Adolfo Colombo ; Claudio García Mixed vocal trio, with mandolin and guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor L-128 10-in. 3/25/1913 Acuérdate de mi meloclia Claudio García Male vocal solo, with mandolin and guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor L-129 10-in. 3/25/1913 Levántate papaito Adolfo Colombo ; Sr. Villegas Male vocal duet, with mandolin and guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor O-136 10-in. 3/13/1907 Canción á Martí Adolfo Colombo ; Regino López Male vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Victor O-141 10-in. 3/13/1907 La ausencia Adolfo Colombo ; Eugenio Ojeda Male vocal duet, with string quartet composer, lyricist  
Victor H-156 10-in. 2/8/1911 En la prangana Regino y Colombo Male vocal duet, with mandolin and guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor R-205 10-in. 2/3/1909 Mi prieta Floro y Miguel Vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Victor A-216 [Latin America 'A-' series] 12-in. 2/4/1909 Morir de dolor Adolfo Colombo ; Regino López Male vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Victor G-1665 10-in. 10/27/1916 El dragado Adolfo Colombo ; Consuelo Novoa Female-male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor G-1666 10-in. 10/27/1916 Guapo verdá Adolfo Colombo ; Consuelo Novoa Female-male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor G-1667 10-in. 10/27/1916 La brava de un cantador Adolfo Colombo ; Consuelo Novoa Female-male dialogue and vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor G-1668 10-in. 10/27/1916 La conga Adolfo Colombo ; Consuelo Novoa Female-male dialogue and vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor G-1669 10-in. 10/27/1916 El 'base-ball' Adolfo Colombo ; Consuelo Novoa Female-male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor G-1670 10-in. 10/27/1916 La venta de los ingenios Adolfo Colombo ; Consuelo Novoa Female-male dialogue and vocal, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
(Results 151-175 of 331 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Villalón Morales, Alberto," accessed April 19, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113130.

Villalón Morales, Alberto. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 19, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113130.

"Villalón Morales, Alberto." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 19 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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