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Manuel Corona

Manuel Corona Raimundo (17 June 1880, in Caibarién – 9 January 1950 in Marianao, Havana) was a Cuban trova musician, and a long-term professional rival of Sindo Garay.

He came to Havana when the Cuban War of Independence broke out, and worked as a bootblack and a cigar-roller. His supervisor at the cigar factory taught him the guitar, and in 1905 he set up in a café in the red-light district of San Isidro. The district was controlled by the chulo (pimp) Alberto Yarini (1882–1910), who became famous for introducing French prostitutes (putas francesas) willing to perform more salacious acts than even the Cubans were used to. The francesas cut heavily into the profits of the Cuban putas, and the result was a gang war in which Yarini was killed.

Corona was present through all this, playing and singing to the punters, whores and pimps. He and one of the girls developed a love affair, and soon enough her pimp was on his trail. In a line that might have come from "Frankie and Johnny", Corona said later "She was a whore, and she had her man, but I liked her." The pimp came after him with a knife, and a cut to his hand prevented him playing the guitar again. From then on he lived from his compositions.

He wrote hundreds of compositions, some of them amongst the finest examples of Cuban sentiment, such as Mercedes, Longina, Santa Cecilia and Aurora. Guarachas such as El servicio obligatorio (National Service) and Acelera, Ñico, acelera were topical comments. La habanera was a deliberate reply to Garay's La bayamesa. Corona died in poverty.

Birth and Death Data: Born June 17, 1880 (Caibarién), Died 1950 (Havana)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1913 - 1930

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, vocalist, guitar

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 51-75 of 88 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 82662 10-in. either 1919 or 1920 Tu alma y la mía Manuel Corona ; María Teresa Vera Female-male vocal duet, with guitar vocalist, composer  
Columbia 82665 10-in. either 1919 or 1920 El triunfo aliado Manuel Corona ; María Teresa Vera Female-male vocal duet, with guitar vocalist, composer  
Columbia 82666 10-in. either 1919 or 1920 Chinita sandunguera Manuel Corona ; María Teresa Vera Female-male vocal duet, with guitar vocalist, composer  
Columbia 82667 10-in. either 1919 or 1920 Dónde estabas anoche, prieta : Son Manuel Corona ; María Teresa Vera Female-male vocal duet, with guitar vocalist, composer  
Columbia 82668 10-in. either 1919 or 1920 Año de amor : Guaracha Manuel Corona ; María Teresa Vera Female-male vocal duet, with guitar vocalist, composer  
Columbia 82670 10-in. November 1920 Ráscame chambelona : Son Son Santiaguero Vocal trio, with guitar composer, vocalist  
Columbia 82677 10-in. between 1917 and 1920 Carmita : Bolero José Castillo ; Manuel Corona Male vocal duet, with guitar vocalist, composer  
Columbia 82679 10-in. either 1919 or 1920 Mi yoya : Bolero María Teresa y Zequeira Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Columbia 82682 10-in. either 1919 or 1920 Pensando en ti : Vlace Higinio ; María Teresa Vera Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Columbia 82683 10-in. either 1919 or 1920 Cuca : Bolero María Teresa y Zequeira Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Columbia 82689 10-in. either 1919 or 1920 Los viejos y la cumbancha Manuel Corona ; María Teresa Vera Female-male vocal duet, with guitar vocalist, composer  
Columbia 82691 10-in. either 1919 or 1920 Dime si me quieres Manuel Corona ; María Teresa Vera ; Rafael Zequeira Vocal trio, with guitar vocalist, composer  
Columbia 82692 10-in. December 1919 Amalia Batista Son Santiaguero Vocal and instrumental ensemble composer  
Columbia 82714 10-in. November 1920 Si muero en la carretera Terceto Habanero Vocal trio, with guitar vocalist  
Columbia 82715 10-in. November 1920 La mora Terceto Habanero Vocal trio, with guitar vocalist  
Columbia 82744 10-in. 9/29/1919 Se acabó la choricera : Son Floro y Miguel Vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Columbia 82876 10-in. approximately May 1920 Contestación a adiós a la Habana : Canción María Teresa y Zequeira Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Columbia 82893 10-in. approximately May 1920 Las glorias de mi vida : Bolero María Teresa y Zequeira Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Columbia 82894 10-in. approximately May 1920 Cubana hermosa : Bolero María Teresa y Zequeira Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Columbia 82895 10-in. approximately May 1920 Remembranza y olvido : Bolero María Teresa Vera Female vocal solo, with guitar composer  
Columbia 82921 10-in. approximately May 1920 Cuba y España : Rumba María Teresa y Zequeira Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Columbia 82922 10-in. approximately May 1920 La choricera de Enrizo : Rumba María Teresa y Zequeira Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Columbia 82959 10-in. approximately May 1920 Dime adiós Matancera : Rumba María Teresa y Zequeira Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Columbia 82964 10-in. approximately May 1920 Nicanor en la lata : Rumba María Teresa y Zequeira Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Columbia 82966 10-in. approximately May 1920 Los ángeles : Son María Teresa y Zequeira Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer  
(Results 51-75 of 88 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Corona, Manuel," accessed May 3, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116684.

Corona, Manuel. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 3, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116684.

"Corona, Manuel." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 3 May 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116684

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