Titanes del Trombón – Doug Beavers

No Quiero Llanto • Tribute to Los Compadres – Septeto Santiaguero & José Alberto El Canario

Today we want to review a work filled with stars, the album with which the renowned traditional Cuban music group celebrates its 20th anniversary in collaboration with the Dominican sonero, a tribute album honoring the iconic duo Los Compadres, and specifically each of its members from its two stages: brothers Lorenzo and Reynaldo Hierrezuelo, “Rey Caney,” and Francisco Repilado, “Compay Segundo.”

This is a piece every collector of Afro-Caribbean music should own. The album, winner of the 2015 Cubadisco Award in the traditional son category, is a co-production between the Cuban musicians and the popular singer, released by the label Los Canarios Music and distributed by Select-O-Hits. In Cuba, the record is licensed by the EGREM label and is the first that Septeto has licensed with a Cuban label, which celebrated its 51st anniversary in 2015.

The production features Oscar D’ León, Eliades Ochoa, Andy Montañez, Aymee Nuviola, Ismael Miranda, Tiburón Morales, Edwin Bonilla, Grupo Esencia, La Conga de Los Hoyos, Estrellas de la Charanga, Orfeón Santiago, and the Oriente Symphony Orchestra, among other notable musicians. It was recorded in studios in Santiago de Cuba, Havana, San Juan and Ponce in Puerto Rico, and Miami and New Jersey in the United States, by a team of prestigious, award-winning engineers, and mastered in California by the acclaimed specialist Michael Lazarus of Latin Music Mastering.

José Alberto El Canario described the album as a dream come true and an honor to share with a group that is bringing Cuban son to the world, dedicated to Los Compadres, icons of this musical style and fathers of street and guajira lyrics rooted in their ancestors. Fernando Dewar, director of the Septeto, considered it a milestone in their career and confessed excitement about what will come from this constellation of stars united to pay tribute to the unforgettable duo.

With Grammy nominations in 2011 and 2013 and several Cubadisco awards before this album (also in 2011 and 2013), Septeto Santiaguero is celebrating 20 years while also marking four decades of artistic work by the Dominican singer with No Quiero Llanto – Tribute to Los Compadres.

“We wanted to remember the work of those magnificent musicians: Francisco Repilado (Compay Segundo), Lorenzo Hierrezuelo (Compay Primo), and Reynaldo Hierrezuelo (Rey Caney), while maintaining contemporary sounds,” explained Fernando Dewar, director of the group founded in 1995, which has successfully conquered international stages. “We invited various artists to join us on this album,” Dewar added, also emphasizing that they aimed to keep the album varied and engaging, creating a true homage to these greats.

Producer Alden González clarified that the tribute honors Los Compadres as a duo but also recognizes their members as individual musicians. The album includes songs from both stages of the group: the first featuring Compay Segundo, and the second with his replacement, Rey Caney, as well as some pieces popularized by them in their solo careers.

This double album contains tracks like Hay un Runrún, the first single released, a medley of Hay un Runrún and Hay Compadres para Rato; Sabroso, performed by Compay Segundo and his group; Pensamiento, recorded by Lorenzo Hierrezuelo with María Teresa Vera; and El que Usted Conoce No Soy Yo, sung by Rey Caney with La Sonora Matancera, composed by the lesser-known Santiago trovador Enrique González. During the selection process, the band discovered that many in Latin America mistakenly believe El Lunar is a Los Compadres song.

Septeto Santiaguero, founded by tres player Fernando Dewar in 1995, repeats the formula of involving stars from the global salsa scene, as they did with Vamos Pa’ La Fiesta (2012), their previous production featuring big names like Ruben Blades, Jimmy Bosch, Cheo Feliciano, and José Alberto El Canario himself. Born in the popular Villa Consuelo neighborhood in Santo Domingo, El Canario gained fame in New York City with La Típica 73, singing hard salsa. In this double album, he shows mastery of Cuban music, flowing effortlessly through the waters of traditional son.

Edwin Bonilla stands out on congas in Con La Espuela, Oscar D’ León vocals Mi Son Oriental, Andy Montañez appears in Baja y Tapa La Olla, and Ismael Miranda brilliantly performs Pensamiento, which also features the string quartet of the Oriente Symphony Orchestra and the choir of Orfeón Santiago, directed by maestro Daria Abreu. Cuban vocalist Aymee Nuviola, known as “the world’s sonera,” sings Metiste la Pata, while her compatriot Tiburón Morales (Son 14) performs on Pruebe Este Tono. Also featured are La Conga de Los Hoyos, a legendary Santiago carnival group directed by Félix Bandera and known for the piercing sound of the Chinese trumpet played by Joaquín Solórzano; Estrellas de La Charanga — with Rubén Leliebre on flute, Pedrito Alarcón and Osvaldo Correa on violin.

Grupo Esencia, led by Ángel Papote Alvarado, is a special guest on the popular Sarandonga, which features Eliut Cintron on trombone solo. The Magic Sax Quartet adds a special touch to Gusto y Sabor. Maestro Eliades Ochoa leads vocals on A Georgina, Alaín Dragoní shines on the trumpet solo in Amor Silvestre, and Eduardo Bringuez plays the trumpet solo in El que Usted Conoce No Soy Yo.

“Los Compadres performed from 1949 until 1983, sharing their art across Cuba and the world, becoming mega-stars in several Latin American countries and even Japan. We tried to cover the most important parts of what the duo did, as well as their three members as individually indispensable figures, summits in the evolution of Cuban music. Lorenzo Hierrezuelo (September 5, 1907 – November 16, 1993) was part of another legendary duo alongside María Teresa Vera, as well as the Trío Oriente, Cuarteto Hatuey, and Conjunto Matamoros (interestingly, it was thanks to him that Beny Moré joined the group). Francisco Repilado (November 18, 1907 – July 14, 2003) was also part of Conjunto Matamoros for 12 years and played clarinet in the Santiago de Cuba Municipal Band, which performed the Bayamo Anthem at the inauguration of the National Capitol and the Central Highway in 1929; he also coincided with Hierrezuelo in Cuarteto Hatuey. Shortly after leaving the duo in 1955, he formed Compay Segundo y sus Muchachos, recording and working intensively until his last breath. He also joined Cuarteto Patria and became one of the shining stars of the Buena Vista Social Club.” (Taken from the album notes)

This album preserves the essence of the Septeto Santiaguero sound while incorporating instruments uncommon to the format and blending with much larger musical ensembles. There are symphonic and charanga strings, flute, saxophones, a conga, a choir, a Puerto Rican format to fuse bomba with son — in short, a unique experience that recalls traditional son with modern sounds and arrangements. Son, guaracha, bolero, trova, pacá, conga, changüí, nengón, cumbia, and bomba are all woven into this album, highlighting the richness of Cuban and Caribbean genres.