Félix Chappottín (March 31, 1907 – December 21, 1983) was a Cuban trumpeter and bandleader. He was a member of three highly successful Cuban bands:

Septeto Habanero A septet is a formation containing exactly seven members. It is commonly associated with musical groups but can be applied to any situation where seven similar or related objects are considered a single unit, such as a seven-line stanza of poetry. ...

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 ...

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' ...

and

Conjunto Chappottín Conjunto Chappottín, also known as Chappottín y sus Estrellas, is a Cuban son conjunto from Havana. It was founded in 1950 by trumpeter Félix Chappottín, pianist Lilí Martínez, singer Miguelito Cuní and other members of Arsenio Rodrígue ...

, which he directed.

Life and career

Early life and ''septeto'' era

Félix Chappottín Lage was born on March 31, 1907 in Cayo Hueso,

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

, to tobacconist/musician Julio Chappottín and housewife Natalia Lage. His father was a member of the son group Los Apaches. At 8 years of age, Chappottín began to study cornet under Venancio González; he later took up the tuba, the oboe and the euphonium. At age twelve he joined the local youth band of Guanajuay. In 1924 he joined the Estudiantina Orquídea de Américo González as trumpeter, and in 1927, he joined the Septeto Habanero, previously the

Sexteto Habanero The Sexteto Habanero was a Cuban son sextet founded in 1920 in Havana. It played an important part in the early history of the genre, contributing to its popularization all around Cuba. In 1927, the band incorporated a cornet player becoming the S ...

, becoming the most famous trumpeter in Cuba. With the Habanero, Chappottín recorded several 78 rpm singles for Victor between February 1928 and 1930, when he left the band for economic reasons, being replaced by José Interián. He then joined other

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 ...

''septetos'': Colín, Munamar (directed by Juan José Izquierdo), Agabama, and Universo (directed by

Abelardo Barroso Abelardo Barroso Dargeles (21 September 1905 – 27 September 1972) was a Cuban bandleader and singer, the first sonero mayor (lead singer of the son) to be recognized as such by the Cuban public. Born in Havana, Cuba, he was the lead singer ...

). After the disbandment of Sexteto Boloña in 1935, Chappottín and Jesús "Tata" Gutiérrez founded the Sexteto Bolero. In 1939 he joined the ''septeto'' Carabina de Ases.

Conjunto era

In the 1940s, after the disbandment of Carabina de Ases, Chappottín joined several conjuntos: América, Gloria Cubana, Anacaona (directed by Concepción Castro), Azul (directed by

Chano Pozo Luciano Pozo González (January 7, 1915 – December 3, 1948), known professionally as Chano Pozo, was a Cuban jazz percussionist, singer, dancer, and composer. Despite only living to age 33, he played a major role in the founding of Latin jazz. ...

), Los Jóvenes del Cayo and finally

's popular conjunto, in 1950. In 1950, Rodríguez decided to continue his career in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and the members of his conjunto that remained in Havana founded

, which was directed by Chappottín, with the arrangements of pianist

Lilí Martínez Luis Martínez Griñán (19 August 1915 – 26 August 1990), better known as Lilí Martínez, was a Cuban pianist, arranger and composer specializing in the son montuno style. He played in the Conjunto de Arsenio Rodríguez and Conjunto Chapp ...

and featuring

Miguelito Cuní Miguelito may refer to: *Miguelito (artist) (born 1999), Puerto Rican reggaeton *Miguelito (footballer, born 1981), Portuguese football wingback *Miguelito (footballer, born March 1990), Portuguese football midfielder *Miguelito (footballer, born D ...

on lead vocals. The band became one of the most popular conjuntos of the 1950s with hits such as "Alto Songo".

Later years and death

Chappottín remained the leader of his conjunto until his death, which took place on December 21, 1983 in Havana.

Legacy

Chappottín is widely regarded as the founder of the modern Cuban trumpet style due to his innovative approach in the development of

son cubano Son cubano is a genre of music and dance that originated in the highlands of eastern Cuba during the late 19th century. It is a syncretic genre that blends elements of Spanish and African origin. Among its fundamental Hispanic components are th ...

between the 1920s and 1950s. According to Craig Harris, writer for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, Chappottín "continued to inspire Afro-Cuban music with his sweet-toned trumpet playing for more than six decades". In 2002, Chappottín was posthumously inducted into the

International Latin Music Hall of Fame The International Latin Music Hall of Fame (ILMHF) was an annual event established in 1999 and held in New York City to honor artists who have largely contributed to the Latin music genre. In addition to the induction into the Hall of Fame, the a ...

. After his death, his son and later his grandson have directed Conjunto Chappottín.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chappottin, Felix 1907 births 1983 deaths Cuban trumpeters Cuban bandleaders People from Havana Son cubano musicians 20th-century trumpeters