Barbarito Díez (December 4, 1910 – May 6, 1995) was a Cuban singer who specialized in
danzón
Danzón is the official genre and dance of Cuba.Urfé, Odilio 1965. ''El danzón''. La Habana. It is also an active musical form in USA and Puerto Rico.
Written in time, the danzón is a slow, formal partner dance, requiring set footwork ...
.Orovio, Helio (2004). ''Cuban Music from A to Z-CL''. Duke University Press Books. . He began his career as the singer for Graciano Gómez and Isaac Oviedo's son group, before joining Antonio María Romeu's orchestra. As the lead vocalist for Romeu's ensemble for 20 years, he established himself as one of the main exponents of the sung danzón. He continued singing with his own charanga, as well as other groups, for another 30 years. He also toured and recorded in
Venezuela
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
and
Puerto Rico
; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
before retiring in the early 1990s, when complications from
diabetes
Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...
prevented him from performing and eventually resulted in his death in 1995. A naturally-gifted
tenor
A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...
, he was known for his sense of rhythm, correct diction and romantic style.
Matanzas Province
Matanzas () is one of the provinces of Cuba. Major towns in the province include Cárdenas, Colón, Jovellanos and the capital of the same name, Matanzas. The resort town of Varadero is also located in this province.
Among Cuban provinces, ...
, as the only child born to Eugenio Díez and Salustiana del Junco. When he was four years old, Díez moved with his parents to Manatí,
Oriente Province
Oriente (, "East") was the easternmost province of Cuba until 1976. The term "Oriente" is still used to refer to the eastern part of the country, which currently is divided into five different provinces.
The origins of Oriente lie in the 1607 di ...
, where his father worked in another mill for years. The family lived in a batey, where the young Díez attended elementary school and intuitively began to sing the repertoire of songs that Trio Matamoros had created. (Spanish).
Professional career
As a result, Díez established himself as a well-respected, professional performer in his Oriente Province home at the age of fourteen. He then moved to
Havana
Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Isaac Oviedo a year later, Díez received an invitation from pianist and composer Antonio María Romeu to join his dance band in 1935, where he continued thereafter as its main soloist. After Romeu died in 1955, the orchestra continued playing under the leadership of his son Antonio María Romeu Jr. with Díez as lead singer. Some years later the band was renamed ''Orquesta de Barbarito Díez''.
During his career, Díez toured the
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...
,
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
,
Puerto Rico
; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
,
Venezuela
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
and the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
in concerts and recorded eleven albums of his extensive repertoire of danzón music,La Jiribilla Interview . ''LaJiribilla.cu''. Retrieved on July 25, 2015. well on his way to becoming a household name outside of Cuba. In addition, strengthened by a considerably large and stable fanbase in Venezuela, Díez thanked his audience for their support and offered a collection of diverse Venezuelan music genres in his albums ''Barbarito Díez canta a Venezuela'' Volumes 1 & 2, which were released in 1977 and 1980, respectively. He then recorded a handful of Latin American songs backed by the group Rondalla Venezolana in 1985. Three years later, he made his last recording session with the Charanga Típica orchestra directed by Guillermo Rubalcaba.Charanga Típica de Conciertos de Guillermo Rubalcaba – Vivencias ''Discog.com.'' Retrieved on July 25, 2015.
Late life
In one of his last interviews, Díez left a message for his audience: "I want everyone to know how grateful I am for the love, respect and consideration they have always given me. I say out loud that I have the biggest thrill to see that you still listen with pleasure, so I will sing until I run out of strength to do it."
Barbarito Díez died in 1995 from diabetes-related complications at age 85.
Adalberto Álvarez
Adalberto Cecilio Álvarez Zayas (22 November 1948 – 1 September 2021) was a Cuban pianist, arranger, conductor, and composer.
Biography
Adalberto was born in La Havana on November 22, 1948, but considered himself a native of Camagüey, where ...