Roberto Faz; Regla-born-voice of the Cuban
Por Rafael Lam
Cuban musician Roberto Faz played boleros, guarachas, sones, pachangas, dengues, mozambiques and even excelled in the filing. Cuban music learners class him as "the sole white that sang Son music in his days".
This year 2006 brought several important celebrations in Havanas overseas town of Regla. Roberto Faz's 50th birth anniversary on Febr. 4 and the 40th death anniversary on April 26 and the 40th anniversary of the dengue dance rhythm Dámaso Pérez Prado created and that Faz widely played.
The town of Regla has seen many of its children reached the heights in music like: Francisco Albo Salazar -siglo XIX- (Pancho Majagua), Mario Romeu, Tania Castellanos, Emelina López y Sergio Farías and Antonio Arcaño, who resided in the locality for a quiet long time.
Roberto Faz born in Calle Calixto García 62 entre Céspedes y Agramante in Regla, Havana City is one of the legens in playing son music and bolero-songs best known as the overseas town of Regla's dear voice. A man of charisma, whose singing heartened very much the Cuban people.
He gained popularity from the 1950s to 1960s as a singer and conductor of the band Conjunto Casino (1943 - 1956) and specialized in many forms of Cuban music and in 1959 produced Suena Tu Bongó on Panart, an enjoyable popular music album.
" With the Casino I made hit sons, guarachas and filing themes such as Quiéreme y verás and Realidad y fantasía by Portillo de la Luz; A romper el coco, guaracha de Otilio Portal and Que se corra la bola (guaracha by Alberto Ruiz).
The last stage of Conjunto Roberto Faz lived in 1966, the dengue rhythm they played so well rocked tem even higher replenishing their repertoire with the unforgettable Dengue de la caña, Dengue del pollo and Dengue en Fa that made the craze in Havana carnival festivities. Then boleros and trumpeter choir were acclaimed.
On April 26, 1966 in the heydays of mozambique rhythm of Pello el Arocán and the dengue death found Roberto Faz, three years after the death of the great Benny Moré. Thus the '60s took off the lives of two big names of the Cuban music.
Musicologist Helio Orovio tells about Faz " with his peculiar voice, he was one of the most prominent and attracting figures tat in the Cuban popular music circle Ive ever met ".
Tito Gómez: " the best son music player white Cuba had".
Miguelito Cuní: "a man, friend, partner and extraordinary as a son music player. He was the first white that sang sones".
Source: CubaSi
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