Ernesto Duarte Hernández known as Tito Duarte (born Havana, Cuba, August 7, 1946 - died Córdoba, Spain, July 14, 2003), was a Cuban musician, instrumentalist and arranger.

Artistic career

Tito Duarte was the son of composer and director

Ernesto Duarte Brito Ernesto Duarte Brito (Jovellanos (Cuba), November 7, 1922 – Madrid, Spain, March 4, 1988) was a Cuban musician, author of the bolero ''Cómo fue'', whose performance by Benny Moré became very famous. There are many versions of this bolero all ...

, who worked with artists such as

Benny Moré Bartolomé Maximiliano Moré Gutiérrez (24 August 1919 – 19 February 1963), better known as Benny Moré (also spelled Beny Moré), was a Cuban singer, bandleader and songwriter. Due to his fluid tenor voice and his great expressivity, he was k ...

and

Celia Cruz Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso (21 October 1925 – 16 July 2003), known as Celia Cruz, was a naturalized Cuban-American singer and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. Cruz rose to fame in Cuba during t ...

, as well as working as a director in record companies in the middle of the 20th century. The Duartes left Cuba and settled in Madrid after Fidel Castro's revolution. His father worked for the

RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...

label, while he, who had already played with his father's orchestra in Cuba, revealed himself as an instrumentalist and arranger. Tito Duarte played percussions, sax, flutes, keyboards, bass, and was also an arranger for songs of various bands, such as

Barrabás Barrabás are a Spanish musical group, most successful in the 1970s and 1980s when they were led by drummer and producer Fernando Arbex. The group's musical style was initially Latin rock with jazz and funk influences, and later developed into a ...

(founded by

Fernando Arbex José Fernando Arbex Miró (28 May 1941 – 5 July 2003) was an influential Spanish musician and songwriter from Madrid, who enjoyed success both with his own groups and also with other artists. While still in his teens, he was the drummer in Los ...

), and

Miguel Ríos Miguel Ríos Campaña (born 7 June 1944) is a Spanish singer, composer, actor. He is one of the pioneers of rock and roll in Spain. Biography Ríos was born in La Cartuja, a neighborhood of Granada. The youngest of seven children, he went to wo ...

' band (''Concierto de Rock y Amor'', 1972). His musical interest led him to later share the stage with jazz musicians such as

Carles Benavent Carles Benavent (born 1 March 1954) is a Spanish flamenco and jazz bass player. Biography Benavent was born in the Poble Sec neighborhood in Barcelona. He started playing the bass when he was thirteen years old, attracted by blues and rock, J ...

, Josep Mas "Kitflus",

Jorge Pardo Jorge Pardo may refer to: *Jorge Pardo (artist) *Jorge Pardo (musician) (born 1955), Spanish musician *J. D. Pardo Jorge Daniel Pardo (born September 7, 1980) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Jack Toretto in '' F9'' (2021), as ...

, Max Sunyer and Vlady Bas. He worked as a studio musician and recorded solo albums that ranged from the commercial popurris of ''Un directo... al sabor'' (RCA, 1981) to ''La fusión eléctrica de Tito Duarte'' (RCA, 1979), a danceable jazz album also known as ''I am your boss''. In 2000 he released his album ''One man salsa''. He worked with singer-songwriter

Joan Manuel Serrat Joan Manuel Serrat i Teresa (; born 27 December 1943) is a Spanish musician, singer and composer. He is considered one of the most important figures of modern, popular music in both the Spanish and Catalan languages. Serrat's lyrical style h ...

on some of his albums (''En tránsito'', ''Cansiones'') and as a musician on his tours. In the summer of 2003, Tito Duarte was producing the solo edition of his album ''La herencia del viejo sabor'' (Fundación Autor, 2004), a journey through the mambo, danzón and other historical forms of Cuban music, with performances by instrumentalists such as Jorge Pardo, Pepe Ébano, Vicente Borland, Víctor Merlo, Horacio Icasto and Luis Dulzaides and the voices of singers that Tito Duarte had previously joined: Moncho,

Miguel Bosé Luis Miguel González Bosé (born 3 April 1956), usually known as Miguel Bosé, is a Spanish pop new wave singer and actor. Early life Bosé was born in San Fernando Hospital in Panama City, Panama, the son of Italian actress Lucia Bosè (19 ...

Lucrecia Lucrezia or Lucrecia may refer to: *Lucrezia (given name): an Italian name, feminine of the Roman name Lucretius. The etymological origin of the name is debatable, but is thought to come from the Latin ''lucrum'', meaning "profit, wealth". Other s ...

, Reinaldo Craig or

Ángela Carrasco Ángela Altagracia Carrasco Rodríguez (born January 23, 1951) is a People of the Dominican Republic, Dominican singer. Carrasco was born in Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic. At age 7, she first appeared in an advertising world, singing the th ...

. He had committed himself to sing the song ''Suavecito'', but the day before the recording he died suddenly in Córdoba with the album almost finished, so it was published as a tribute. When he died at the age of 56 in Córdoba, he was involved in the live show of ''Sueños de ida y vuelta'', the flamenco project of Víctor Monge "Serranito", at the Cordoba Guitar Festival. During the rehearsals he felt sick and was admitted to the Reina Sofia hospital, where he died, according to the doctors, as a consequence of a heart attack. After his death he has been remembered and featured many times on Radio 3, the popular music channel of Spanish public radio and television, in many programs such as ''Discópolis'', ''Sonideros'' and ''Trópico Utópico.''

Discography

With Barrabás

*''

Wild Safari ''Wild Safari'' is a 1971 album by the Spanish group Barrabás, released outside Spain in January 1972. The album was released in some countries under the simple title ''Barrabás'', with a different sleeve design. It was also known as ''Música Ca ...

'', 1971 (AKA ''Barrabás'') *''

Power Power most often refers to: * Power (physics), meaning "rate of doing work" ** Engine power, the power put out by an engine ** Electric power * Power (social and political), the ability to influence people or events ** Abusive power Power may a ...

'', 1973 *''

¡Soltad a Barrabás! ''¡Soltad a Barrabás!'' is the third album by the Spanish group Barrabás, released in 1974. The album was originally released as ''Release Barrabás'' or ''Hi-Jack'' in some other countries, but the modern CD release retains the Spanish title. I ...

'', 1974 (AKA ''Release Barrabás'' or ''Hi-Jack'') *'' Heart of the City'', 1975 (AKA ''Check Mate'') *'' Watch Out'', 1975 (AKA ''Desperately'') *''

'', 1976 (AKA ''Swinger'' or ''Watch-Out'') *''

Prohibido ''Prohibido'', titled Forbidden in some countries, is a 1983 music album by the Spanish group Barrabás. It was the band's ninth album, and the last for several years before a return to recording in the 1990s. With the return of former members I� ...

'', 1983

Solo

*''I Am the Boss'', RCA Victor, 1979 *''Un Directo... Al Sabor'', RCA, 1981 *''One Man Salsa'', 2000 *''La Herencia Del Viejo Sabor'', Factoría Autor, 2004

Singles and EPs

*"Wild Party" / "Kiss Me Now Baby", RCA, 1980 *"Merengues - Guajiras", RCA Victor, 1981

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Duarte, Tito Cuban jazz musicians People from Havana 1946 births 2003 deaths