Enrique Peña Sánchez (17 July 1880 – 13 April 1922) was a leading Cuban
cornet
The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. There is also a soprano cor ...
player, orchestra leader and composer.
Biography
Born in
Puerto Padre
Puerto Padre () is a municipality and town in the Las Tunas Province of Cuba. It is located on the northern coastal region of the province, in an estuary (''Estero El Españolito'') that opens into the Puerto Padre Bay.
History
Known popularly as ...
, a small town in the old province of Oriente, Peña studied with Marcos González and José Santos Betancourt. In 1902 he moved to Havana, and founded the band ''La Juventud'', with himself as director and cornet, Rogelio Solis (
double bass
The double bass (), also known as the upright bass, the acoustic bass, the bull fiddle, or simply the bass, is the largest and lowest-pitched string instrument, chordophone in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding rare additions ...
ophicleide
The ophicleide ( ) is a family of conical-bore keyed brass instruments invented in early 19th-century France to extend the keyed bugle into the lower range. Of these, the bass ophicleide in eight-foot (8′) C or 9′ B took root over the cour ...
clarinet
The clarinet is a Single-reed instrument, single-reed musical instrument in the woodwind family, with a nearly cylindrical bore (wind instruments), bore and a flared bell.
Clarinets comprise a Family (musical instruments), family of instrume ...
),
José Urfé
José Urfé González (February 6, 1879 – November 14, 1957) was a Cuban clarinetist and composer. An innovator of the danzón, his 1910 composition "El bombín de Barreto" pioneered the introduction of elements from son cubano into the genr ...
(second clarinet), José de los Reyes (
kettle drum
Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a membrane called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally ...
) and Rufino Cárdenas (
güiro
The güiro () is a percussion instrument consisting of an open-ended, hollow gourd with parallel notches cut in one side. It is played by rubbing a stick or tines (see photo) along the notches to produce a ratchet sound.
The güiro is commonly ...
). This band had several members who became well known; Puig went on to become a famous leader of his own charanga. The band functioned until 1906.
His second band was called the ''
Orquesta típica
Orquesta típica, or simply a típica, is a Latin American term for a band which plays popular music. The details vary from country to country. The term tends to be used for groups of medium size (about 8 to 12 musicians) in some well-defined in ...
de Enrique Peña''. Its line-up was Peña (cornet); Antonio González (trombone); Féliz González (figle); José Belén Puig (1st clarinet); José Urfé (2nd clarinet); Julián Barreto (violin); Alfredo Sáenz (violin); José de los Reyes (tympani); Rufino Cárdenas (güíro) and unknown (double bass). This orchestra became famous for being the first to play ''El bombín de Barreto'' (Barreto's bowler hat), written by Urfé, which was supposedly the first
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 ...
to incorporate a
syncopated
In music, syncopation is a variety of rhythms played together to make a piece of music, making part or all of a tune or piece of music off-beat (music), off-beat. More simply, syncopation is "a disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of ...
third part, influenced by the
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 ...
. The group recorded about 150 numbers, some of which are available on CD.Arhoolie/Folklyric CD 7032 ''The Cuban danzón: before there was jazz: 1905–1929'' presents three numbers.
Peña was a prolific composer of danzones, amongst which are ''El ñáñigo'', ''El dengue'', ''El demonio de la negra'', ''La flor de Cuba'', ''Malabares'' and ''Edén concert''. He died 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.Early Cuban bands