Lecuona Cuban Boys

about

The Lecuona Cuban Boys was a popular Cuban orchestra which toured the world for over forty years. The band was founded by Ernesto Lecuona, whose role was that of a patron-entrepreneur. He did not actually play with the band, but sometimes give a piano recital before the band played. The core of the band was put together in 1931 as Orquesta Encanto; the band changed name early in 1934. On tour in Europe, in 1934, Lecuona returned to Cuba, and Armando Oréfiche took charge of the band in Europe. Ernesto gave them the gift of his name, which, at the time, was a property well worth having, and the right to use a number of his compositions. The LCB was exceptional strong in arrangements, compositions and instrumental quality (most of them could play two or three instruments). Their only weak spot was the lack of a really first-rate Cuban singer, but that was not so important as might seem because they played so often to non-latin audiences. Some of their pick-up singers could sing in English, and many of their numbers were instrumentals. The band played the full range of Cuban popular music, but their speciality was the conga. Though it was perhaps Eliseo Grenet who first composed a conga in its ballroom dance style, it was certainly the LCB who took it round the world and made it famous. The LCB was therefore the first conjunto to use the conga drum regularly in its performances, and not Arsenio Rodríguez as is often supposed. The band initially organized itself as a collective

top songs

albums

Canto indio

Congas And Rumbas From The Unforgettable Band

La conga de Jaruco (1932-1942)

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La conga Blicoti (Remastered)

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Perlas Cubanas: Lecuona Cuban Boys

Congas y Rumbas

Musical Moments to Remember – Leuconia Cuban Boys: Rumba International! (Remastered 2015)

Romántico

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Lecuona Cuban Boys, Vol. 9 (1946-1949)

The Music Of Cuba 1909-1951

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I Love Cuba!

Rumba Blanca

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