Estrellas de Chocolate is a Cuban

son A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative. Social issues In pre-industrial societies and some current c ...

conjunto The term ''conjunto'' (, literally 'group', 'ensemble') refers to several types of small musical ensembles present in different Latin American musical traditions, mainly in Mexico and Cuba. While Mexican conjuntos play styles such as '' norteño' ...

founded by ''

conguero The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest). ...

'' Félix "Chocolate" Alfonso in 1959. Its original lineup featured

Niño Rivera Andrés Echevarría Callava (April 18, 1919 – January 27, 1996), better known as Niño Rivera, was a renowned Cuban tres player, songwriter and arranger. Early in his career he played with the Sexteto Boloña and Sexteto Bolero, before forming hi ...

(

tres Tres may refer to: * Tres (instrument), a Cuban musical instrument * Tres, Trentino, municipality in Italy * "Tres" (song) by Juanes * "Tres", a song by Líbido from their album ''Hembra'' * TrES, the ''Trans-Atlantic Exoplanet Survey'' * Templi ...

), Agustín Cabrera (vocals, guitar), David Palomares (piano), Armando Albertini "El Gorila" (trumpet), "Chino" León Lahera (lead vocals), Arístides Valmaseda (lead vocals), Filiberto Hernández (vocals), Sergio de Cuba (double bass) and Pichi (bongo). Albertini and Palomares directed the band, while Rivera was responsible for the

arrangements In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestr ...

. The style of the group was largely inspired by previous conjuntos such as

Arsenio Rodríguez Arsenio Rodríguez (born Ignacio Arsenio Travieso Scull; 31 August 1911 – 30 December 1970)Giro, Radamés 2007. ''Diccionario enciclopédico de la música en Cuba''. La Habana, v. 4 p. 45 et seq. was a Cuban musician, composer and bandleader ...

's (of which Alfonso had been a member between 1945 and 1950), Conjunto Chappottín (also a spin-off of Arsenio's) and

Conjunto Casino The term ''conjunto'' (, literally 'group', 'ensemble') refers to several types of small musical ensembles present in different Latin American musical traditions, mainly in Mexico and Cuba. While Mexican conjuntos play styles such as '' norteño' ...

. Throughout the early 1960s the band gained popularity in Cuba, releasing several albums nationally and to American

Latin music Latin music ( Portuguese and es, música latina) is a term used by the music industry as a catch-all category for various styles of music from Ibero-America (including Spain and Portugal) and the Latino United States inspired by Latin Amer ...

markets. They enjoyed particular success in Curaçao and Aruba, which they toured in 1960. After the release of their first album, ''Fiesta cubana'' (1960), Rivera was replaced by

Papi Oviedo Gilberto Oviedo la Portilla (9 February 1938 – 31 October 2017),''Papi Oviedo''
Article at EcuRed website. Retr ...

, who recorded mostly on an amplified tres. Moreover, Lilí Martínez, another former member of Arsenio's conjunto, joined the band on piano.

Johnny Pacheco Juan Pablo Knipping Pacheco (25 March 1935 – 15 February 2021), known as Johnny Pacheco, was a Dominican musician, arranger, composer, bandleader, and record producer who in the 1970s became one of the leading exponents of salsa as well in t ...

named his label

Fania Records Fania Records is a New York–based record label founded by Dominican-born composer and bandleader Johnny Pacheco and his Brooklyn-born Italian-American ex-New York City Police Officer turned lawyer Jerry Masucci in 1964. The label took its nam ...

, as well as its band the

Fania All-Stars The Fania All-Stars is a musical group formed in 1968 as a showcase for the musicians on Fania Records, the leading salsa music record label of the time. History Beginnings In 1964, Fania Records was founded in New York City by Jerry Masucci, a ...

, after Estrellas de Chocolate's 1960 song "Fania". As of 2003, Conjunto Estrellas de Chocolate remained active in Cuba.

Discography

*''Fiesta cubana'' (Puchito, 1960), reissued as ''Guaguancó a todos los barrios'' (Antilla, 1960) *''Fiesta en Curaçao'' (Bravo, 1960) *''...y la vaca vieja'' (Bravo, 1960) — with Caridad Cuervo *''Conjunto Estrellas de Chocolate'' (Bravo, 1961) *''Mi son pilón'' (Fórmula Touza) *''Los inéditos en vivo de Estrellas de Chocolate'' (Colección de Diamante Vol. 5)

References

External links

*{{cite web, last1=Sanders, first1=Mark, title=Estrellas De Chocolate, url=http://fidelseyeglasses.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/estrellas-de-chocolate-cuba.html, website=Fidels Eyeglasses, accessdate=25 November 2016, date=23 October 2008 Son conjuntos Musical groups established in 1959 1959 establishments in Cuba Cuban musical groups