Bola de Nieve
Bola de Nieve (literally Snowball) (11 September 1911 – 2 October 1971), born Ignacio Jacinto Villa Fernández, was a Cuban singer-pianist and songwriter. His name originates from his round, black face. Villa Fernández was born in Guanabacoa, and studied at the Mateu Conservatoire of Havana. He worked as a chauffeur and played piano for silent films until his friend Rita Montaner took him on as an accompanist in the early 1930s. After Montaner returned to Cuba, Villa Fernández remained in Mexico and developed an original performance style as a pianist and singer. He was an elite rather than a popular figure, a sophisticated cabaret stylist known for ironic patter, subtle musical interpretation, with a repertoire that included songs in French, English, Catalan, Portuguese, and Italian. He toured widely in Europe and the Americas, and his friends included Andrés Segovia and Pablo Neruda. He was black and gay, and was self-confident in his personality, and accepted for what he was: a memorable talent. He died in Mexico City during a musical visit. He was the subject of a 2003 documentary which included interviews with fellow musicians, friends, relatives, and experts. |
Birth and Death Data: Born September 11, 1911 (Havana Province), Died October 2, 1971 (Mexico City)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1934 - 1954
Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, piano
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | BS-027925 | 10-in. | 10/17/1938 | Si me pudieras querer | Ramiro Gómez ; Orquesta "La Conga" ; Oscar de la Rosa | Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo | composer | |
| Victor | BAVE-039550 | 10-in. | before 12/6/1940 | Tu me has de querer | Pedro Vargas | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | composer, instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | MBS-094489 | 10-in. | before 4/6/1954 | No dejes que te olvide | Gustavo Prado ; Enrique Quezada ; Saulo Sedano ; Los Tres Diamantes | Male vocal and instrumental trio | composer | |
| Victor | CU-288 | 10-in. | before 4/18/1940 | Arroyito de mi casa | Esther Borja ; Orquesta Alfredo Brito | Instrumental ensemble, with female vocal solo | composer | |
| Victor | CU-493 | 10-in. | before 6/27/1940 | Tú me has de querer | Conjunto Fernando Mulens ; Dúo Primavera | Female vocal duet, with instrumental ensemble | composer | |
| Columbia | CO21328 | 10-in. | 6/29/1937 | Si me pudieras querer | Cuarteto Caney | Vocal and instrumental ensemble | composer | |
| Brunswick | SA2259 | 10-in. | 10/16/1934 | Te vengo a decir adiós : Canción | Hermanas Águila | Female vocal duet, with orchestra | composer |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Bola de Nieve," accessed April 19, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104295.
Bola de Nieve. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 19, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104295.
"Bola de Nieve." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 19 April 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Bola de Nieve
Discogs: Bola de Nieve
Allmusic: Bola de Nieve
IMDb: Bola de Nieve
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Bola de Nieve (Musician), 1911-1971 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n83139580
Wikidata: Bola de Nieve - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q891248
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/133180059
MusicBrainz: Bola de Nieve - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/e6a68915-dad2-42f7-b0e7-8a4bf98c26c8
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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