José Urfé González (February 6, 1879 – November 14, 1957) was a Cuban clarinetist and composer. An innovator of the
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 ...
, his 1910 composition " El bombín de Barreto" pioneered the introduction of elements from son cubano into the genre.Giro, Radamés (2007). ''Diccionario enciclopédico de la música en Cuba, Vol. 4''. La Habana, Cuba: Letras Cubanas. p. 225.
Urfé was born in
Madruga
Madruga () is a municipality and town in the Mayabeque Province of Cuba. It is located in the eastern part of the province, between Matanzas and Güines. It was founded in 1803.
Geography
In 1940, the municipality was divided into the barrios o ...
, Havana Province, on February 6, 1879. He studied music with several tutors in his home town and in Havana before joining the Teatro Payret orchestra, where he was coached by Pedro Pablo Díaz. In 1902 he was one of the founding members of Enrique Peña's orchestra, where he played second clarinet to José Belén Puig. Later the two clarinetists left to join the Félix González band.
Urfé composed habaneras,
criolla
Criolla is a genre of Cuban music which is closely related to the music of the Cuban Coros de Clave and a genre of Cuban popular music called Clave.
The Clave became a very popular genre in the Cuban vernacular theater and was created by compo ...
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 ...
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 ...
as a member of theatre orchestras. His famous number " El bombín de Barreto" (1910) incorporated a sychopated third part derived from the son. It was named after his friend's bowler hat. Other well-known compositions by Urfé include "Fefita", "Nena", "El churrero", "El dios chino" and "El progreso".
Urfé 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.