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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 176-200 of 331 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor G-1671 10-in. 10/27/1916 La cocinera Adolfo Colombo ; Consuelo Novoa Female-male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor G-1672 10-in. 10/27/1916 La guarapeta Adolfo Colombo ; Consuelo Novoa Female-male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor G-1679 10-in. 10/30/1916 Arrollando como bueno!! Adolfo Colombo ; Consuelo Novoa Female-male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor G-1680 10-in. 10/30/1916 El carnaval Adolfo Colombo ; Consuelo Novoa Female-male dialogue and vocal, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor G-1681 10-in. 10/30/1916 El tenorio del barrio Adolfo Colombo ; Consuelo Novoa Female-male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor K-1682 12-in. 10/30/1916 La puerta de mi bohío Adolfo Colombo ; Consuelo Novoa Female-male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor G-1710 10-in. 11/7/1916 El fuego Adolfo Colombo ; Mariano Fernández Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor G-2931 10-in. 3/8/1923 Ya reiré cuando tú llores Heliodoro Martínez ; Mariano Meléndez Male vocal duet, with violin, flute, and piano composer  
Victor G-2932 10-in. 3/8/1923 Me da miedo quererte Heliodoro Martínez ; Mariano Meléndez Male vocal duet, with violin, flute, and piano composer  
Victor G-2933 10-in. 3/8/1923 A una perjura Heliodoro Martínez ; Mariano Meléndez Male vocal duet, with violin, flute, and piano composer  
Victor G-2934 10-in. 3/9/1923 La neurasténica Juan De la Cruz ; Pedro Martínez Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor G-2935 10-in. 3/9/1923 Son oriental Juan De la Cruz ; Pedro Martínez Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor G-2936 10-in. 3/9/1923 Ese es mi tipo Juan De la Cruz ; Pedro Martínez Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor CU-213[a] 10-in. before 3/12/1940 Yo reiré cuando tú llores Orquesta Casino de la Playa ; Miguelito Valdés Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Columbia 37538 10-in. approximately 1906 A Máximo Gómez : Canción Sres. Martínez y Ojeda Vocal duet composer  
Columbia 37815 10-in. approximately 1909 or 1910 El mundo : Canción Floro y Cruz Vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Columbia 37869 10-in. approximately 1909 or 1910 La cañandonga : Rumba Colombo y Miguel Vocal duet with mandolin and guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia 37870 10-in. approximately 1909 or 1910 Mujer chismosa : Rumba Adolfo Colombo Vocal duet with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia 37871 10-in. approximately 1909 or 1910 Mi unico amor : Bolero Colombo y Miguel Vocal duet with guitar composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia 37873 10-in. approximately 1909 or 1910 Mis anhelos : Bolero Colombo y Miguel Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Columbia 37878 10-in. between 1906 and 1913 La playa Colombo y Miguel Male vocal duet, with guitar and mandolin composer  
Columbia 37882 10-in. approximately 1909 or 1910 Los hijos del Camagüey : Bolero Colombo y Miguel Male vocal duet, with guitar and bandurría instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia 37883 10-in. approximately 1909 or 1910 Una lágrima : Bolero Colombo y Miguel Male vocal duet, with guitar and bandurría instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia 37886 10-in. approximately 1909 or 1910 Arriba con el himno Adolfo Colombo ; Regino López Male vocal duet, with orchestra instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Columbia 37887 10-in. approximately 1909 or 1910 La jaquetona Adolfo Colombo ; Regino López Male vocal duet, with orchestra instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
(Results 176-200 of 331 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Villalón Morales, Alberto," accessed April 18, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113130.

Villalón Morales, Alberto. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 18, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113130.

"Villalón Morales, Alberto." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 18 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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