Alberto Zayas
Alberto Zayas Govín (February 14, 1908 – 1983) was a Cuban rumba singer and songwriter who founded one of the first recorded rumba ensembles, Grupo Afrocubano Lulú Yonkori. He is considered one of the most important guaguancó vocalists/composers in the history of rumba. Life and career Alberto Zayas Govín was born in the Pueblo Nuevo neighborhood of Matanzas on February 14, 1908. When he was one year old his family moved to Havana. At age 14 he lived in El Cerro district of Havana and sang in ''coros de clave'', the precursor ensembles of the guaguancó. There he earned the nickname "El Melodioso" (The Melodious One). In 1925 he moved to Guanabacoa, another district of Havana. According to several accounts, Zayas played with several son ensembles such as Sexteto Habanero and Sexteto Boloña, before focusing on rumba and other Afro-Cuban genres. Zayas became a collaborator of ethnomusicologist Fernando Ortiz and in 1941 he invited anthropologist Harold Courlander to an Aba ...
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Matanzas
Matanzas (Cuban ) is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas. Known for its poets, culture, and Afro-Cuban folklore, it is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Matanzas (Spanish ''Bahia de Matanzas''), east of the capital Havana and west of the resort town of Varadero. Matanzas is called the ''City of Bridges'', for the seventeen bridges that cross the three rivers that traverse the city (Rio Yumuri, San Juan, and Canimar). For this reason it was referred to as the "Venice of Cuba." It was also called "La Atenas de Cuba" ("The Athens of Cuba") for its poets. Matanzas is known as the birthplace of the music and dance traditions danzón and rumba. History Matanzas was founded in 1693 as ''San Carlos y San Severino de Matanzas''. This followed a royal decree ("''real cédula''") issued on September 25, 1690, which decreed that the bay and port of Matanzas be settled by 30 families from the Canary Islands. Matanzas was one of the regi ...
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