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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 76-88 of 88 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 82967 10-in. approximately May 1920 Isabel : Son María Teresa y Zequeira Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Columbia 82968 10-in. approximately May 1920 Amor imposible : Bolero María Teresa y Zequeira Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Columbia 82971 10-in. approximately May 1920 Acuérdate de mí María Teresa y Zequeira Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Columbia 82980 10-in. approximately May 1920 Gentil Zagala : Canción María Teresa y Zequeira Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Columbia 82985 10-in. approximately May 1920 La mulata fascinante : Rumba María Teresa y Zequeira Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Columbia 82986 10-in. approximately May 1920 La rifa : Rumba María Teresa y Zequeira Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Columbia 82987 10-in. approximately May 1920 Quedan las butifarras : Rumba María Teresa y Zequeira Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Columbia 93544 10-in. approximately August 1923 La situación de Cuba María Teresa y Zequeira Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Columbia 93550 10-in. approximately August 1923 Pasionaria de mi vida : Criolla Manuel Corona ; Pancho Majagua Male vocal duet, with guitar vocalist, composer  
Columbia 93554 10-in. approximately August 1923 Arete con aré : Rumba Manuel Corona ; Pancho Majagua Male vocal duet, with guitar vocalist, composer  
Columbia 93686 10-in. approximately August 1923 Amelia : Bolero María Teresa y Zequeira Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Columbia 93688 10-in. approximately August 1923 Eskimo pie : Son María Teresa y Zequeira Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Columbia W95241 10-in. November 1926 Aurora : Son Sexteto "Occidente" Vocal and instrumental ensemble composer  
(Results 76-88 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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