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Alberto Villalón Morales

Alberto Villalón Morales (Santiago de Cuba, 7 June 1882 – Havana, 16 July 1955) was one of the greatest musicians in the Cuban trova style.

He was the only one of the 'four greats' of the trova to come from a well-to-do family. Villalón and his sister América studied guitar with Pepe Sánchez, the father of the trova movement. Later, he studied classical guitar to achieve a really excellent technique. He composed his first canciones and boleros at fourteen, and moved to Havana in 1900. In 1907 he recorded on Edison cylinders. In 1908 he formed the Cuarteto Villalón with Adolfo Colombo (tenor), Claudio García (baritone), Emilio Reinoso (mandolin), and Alberto Villalón (guitar). Colombo and García were regular members of the Teatro Alhambra company; Colombo was the most recorded singer of the age.

A difference between Villalón and the other early trovadors was in his guitar technique. With his training he preferred picking (punteado) instead of strumming (rasgueado), which had been the main technique previously. This gave him a wider range of harmonic possibilities and a characteristic style. He had a second career in 1927 when he became a founding member of the Septeto Nacional de Ignacio Piñeiro. Alberto brought into the septet Juan de la Cruz and Benvenido León, who had been playing with him in a trio. The addition of the first really great sonero, Abelardo Barroso (1905 – 1972), made the Nacional the best group in Cuba for its time.

Villalón's career, then, connected the world of trova with the world of son which became central to Cuba's popular music for the rest of the century.

Birth and Death Data: Born June 7, 1882 (Santiago de Cuba), Died July 16, 1955

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1906 - 1940

Roles Represented in DAHR: guitar, composer, lyricist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 76-100 of 331 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor C-16571 12-in. 9/28/1915 Pachín cantador Adolfo Colombo ; Regino López Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor C-16572 12-in. 9/28/1915 Cintura Adolfo Colombo ; Regino López Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor C-16573 12-in. 9/28/1915 La toma de Varsovia Adolfo Colombo ; Regino López Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor C-16614 12-in. 10/8/1915 Liborio y Cachita Adolfo Colombo ; Consuelo Novoa Female-male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor C-16615 12-in. 10/8/1915 Cucuso y Chacita Adolfo Colombo ; Consuelo Novoa Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-16616 10-in. 10/8/1915 La lucumí Adolfo Colombo ; Consuelo Novoa Female-male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-16617 10-in. 10/8/1915 Tata bucelo Adolfo Colombo ; Consuelo Novoa Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-16618 10-in. 10/8/1915 Una mulata en el precinto Adolfo Colombo ; Consuelo Novoa Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-16619 10-in. 10/8/1915 El gallo tapado Adolfo Colombo ; Consuelo Novoa Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-16620 10-in. 10/8/1915 El venenoso Adolfo Colombo ; Consuelo Novoa Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-16621 10-in. 10/8/1915 A solas Adolfo Colombo ; Consuelo Novoa Female-male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-16622 10-in. 10/8/1915 Sube y baja Adolfo Colombo ; Consuelo Novoa Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-16623 10-in. 10/8/1915 Arriba la canela Adolfo Colombo ; Consuelo Novoa Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-16624 10-in. 10/8/1915 Café con leche Adolfo Colombo ; Consuelo Novoa Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-16625 10-in. 10/8/1915 El ciclón Adolfo Colombo ; Consuelo Novoa Female-male vocal duet, with guitar composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-23238 10-in. 9/11/1919 Ofelia Floro y Miguel Male vocal duet, with guitar composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-23239 10-in. 9/11/1919 Como me matas mueras Floro y Miguel Male vocal duet, with guitar lyricist, composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-23240 10-in. 9/11/1919 Volverás Floro y Miguel Male vocal duet, with guitar lyricist, composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-23241 10-in. 9/11/1919 Boda negra Floro y Miguel Male vocal duet, with guitar lyricist, composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-23242 10-in. 9/11/1919 Virulilla amarra tu gato Floro y Miguel Male vocal duet, with guitar lyricist, composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-23243 10-in. 9/11/1919 Mi estancia Floro y Miguel Male vocal duet, with guitar lyricist, composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-23244 10-in. 9/11/1919 La alborada Floro y Miguel Male vocal duet, with guitar lyricist, composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-23245 10-in. 9/11/1919 Querer y que no te quieran Floro y Miguel Male vocal duet, with guitar lyricist, composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-23246 10-in. 9/11/1919 Carlota y su volumen Floro y Miguel Male vocal duet, with guitar lyricist, composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor B-23247 10-in. 9/11/1919 Delia Floro y Miguel Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
(Results 76-100 of 331 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Villalón Morales, Alberto," accessed November 22, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/113130.

Villalón Morales, Alberto. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/113130.

"Villalón Morales, Alberto." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 22 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/113130

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