Juana Coralia López Valdés (May 6, 1910 – 1993) was a Cuban pianist, bandleader and composer. Between 1940 and 1956 she directed her own charanga danzonera, being the first woman to direct any such orchestra in Cuba. During her career she composed many popular danzones such as "Llegó Manolo", "El bajo que come chivo", "Los jóvenes del agua fria" and the famous "Isora Club", which became a
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in the
Latin music
Latin music (Portuguese language, Portuguese and ) is a term used by the music industry as a catch-all category for various styles of music from Ibero-America, which encompasses Music of Latin America, Latin America, Music of Spain, Spain, Mu ...
repertoire.
Life and career
Juana Coralia López Valdés was born in
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. Her father, Pedro López, taught her music since she was child. Soon she was employed as a musician, choosing the piano as her preferred instrument. Her older brother,
Orestes
In Greek mythology, Orestes or Orestis (; ) was the son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, and the brother of Electra and Iphigenia. He was also known by the patronymic Agamemnonides (), meaning "son of Agamemnon." He is the subject of several ...
, nicknamed "Macho", was a multi-instrumentalist playing the bass, cello and piano, while her younger brother
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
, nicknamed "Cachao", specialized in the bass. Both Orestes and Israel joined Antonio Arcaño y sus Maravillas in the 1930s. Coralia, started her own orchestra in 1940, and the following year she debuted her composition "Isora Club", dedicated to one of the many clubs where she played with her band. It won the 1941 danzón contest organized by
Radio Mil Diez
Radio Mil Diez (or Radio 1010) was a radio station broadcasting from Havana, Cuba, owned by the Popular Socialist Party (PSP). Radio Mil Diez broadcast for five years, between 1943 and 1948, and played an important role in shaping contemporary Cu ...
. In 1943, the song was recorded by Arcaño, and many other covers would follow over the years, including Cachao's (1958, 1993),
Orquesta Aragón
Orquesta Aragón is a Cuban musical band formed on 30 September 1939, by Orestes Aragón Cantero in Cienfuegos, Cuba. The band originally had the name ''Ritmica 39'', then ''Ritmica Aragón'' before settling on its final form. Though they did not ...
's (1960) and Rubén González's (2000).
Coralia's charanga featured flutist Edelmiro Pérez, güirist Alfredo Lazo, timbalero Armando Lazo, singer Rubén Cortada, bassist Pepito Seoani, and a violin section with Raúl Valdés, Jesús Lanza, Tomás Reisoto and
Enrique Jorrín
Enrique Jorrín (December 25, 1926 – December 12, 1987) was a Cuban charanga violinist, composer and music director. He is considered the inventor of the '' cha-cha-chá'', a popular style of ballroom music derived from danzón.
Biography
Jor ...
, who would later join the Maravillas,
Orquesta América
Orquesta América is a Cuban charanga orchestra founded in Havana in 1942, and later based in Mexico City and California. The band pioneered the cha-cha-chá in 1953.
History
The band was founded in 1942 by singer Ninón Mondéjar with Alex ...
and in 1951 create the chachachá. Coralia's nephew, bassist Orlando "Cachaíto" López (son of Orestes), began his career in her band. Despite their many live performances and original compositions, the group never made a recording before their dissolution in 1956.
Coralia López died in 1993, two years after the passing of her brother Orestes.