Reinaldo Hierrezuelo La O (30 December 1926 – 23 February 2016), known professionally as Rey Caney, was a Cuban singer,

guitarist A guitarist (or a guitar player) is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselv ...

, and

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 R ...

ero. Born in

Santiago de Cuba Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana. The municipality extends over , and contains t ...

as the youngest of 11 siblings, he led Cuarteto Patría for some time; this famous group is now led by

Eliades Ochoa Eliades Ochoa Bustamante (born 22 June 1946) is a Cuban guitarist and singer from Loma de la Avispa, Songo La Maya in the east of the country near Santiago de Cuba. He began playing the guitar when he was six and in 1978 he was invited to joi ...

. In the middle 1950s, he took over

Compay Segundo Máximo Francisco Repilado Muñoz Telles (18 November 1907 – 13 July 2003), known professionally as "Compay Segundo", was a Cuban trova guitarist, singer and composer. Biography Compay (meaning ''compadre'') Segundo, so called because he w ...

's place in the duo

Los Compadres Los Compadres was a famous Music of Cuba, Cuban trova duo formed by Lorenzo Hierrezuelo in 1947. At the time Lorenzo had a singing duo with María Teresa Vera, and this partnership continued alongside the new venture. His first partner in ''Los Comp ...

, as "Duo Los Compadres" they recorded for several record labels including Panart and Seeco, with the latter he also recorded as Rey Caney in New York City in 1960. The other partner being his elder brother

Lorenzo Hierrezuelo Lorenzo Hierrezuelo (''Hierrezuelo La O'', 5 September 1907 in El Caney – 16 November 1993 in Havana) was a Cuban trova musician, singer, guitarist and composer. His face showed clear signs of Amerindian descent: he was an Indo-mulatto (one ...

. He and his brother sang together for thirty years. He also sang and played with many other groups, and finally came back to Santiago de Cuba to lead the

Vieja Trova Santiaguera La Vieja Trova Santiaguera is a Cuban musical band that formed in 1994 and became successful in Europe. Its members included: *Reinaldo Hierrezuelo la O (known as ''Rey Caney''), solo voice and lead guitar/tres) (Santiago de Cuba, 30 December 1926) ...

, one of the top groups in Cuba's second city. He also worked with his sister

Caridad Hierrezuelo Caridad Hierrezuelo (10 August 1924 in El Caney – 6 February 2009 in Havana) was a Cuban popular singer. She was the sister of Lorenzo Hierrezuelo and Rey Caney, two famous trova musicians. Her career began in 1947 as a member of the ''Tr ...

, a singer of guaracha style. His most popular composition is "" (The sugar cane's burning). He recorded two songs with

Sonora Matancera La Sonora Matancera is a Cuban band that played Latin American urban popular dance music. Founded in 1924 and led for more than five decades by guitarist, vocalist, composer, and producer Rogelio Martínez, musicologists consider it an icon of ...

, "" and "Quiero emborracharme". Reinaldo Hierrezuelo La O died in Havana in 2016.

References

Cuban composers Male composers Cuban male singers Cuban guitarists Cuban male guitarists 1926 births 2016 deaths People from Santiago de Cuba Cuban male musicians {{Cuba-musician-stub