Anselmo Sacasas

Anselmo Sacasas (23 November 1912 – 22 January 1998) was a Cuban jazz pianist, bandleader, composer, and arranger. As a pianist he took inspiration from Cuban tres players like Arsenio Rodríguez, adapting their techniques to his own style as a soloist in orchestras playing Cuban music.

He began to learn piano at the age of 6 from a female cousin, and 10 years later graduated from the music conservatory in Manzanillo. He later moved to Havana, where he composed piano pieces for silent films and developed an interest in the danzón style. In the early 1930s he was a member of Tata Pereira's orchestra.

In 1936 he met the singer Miguelito Valdés, with whom he would work in the Orquesta de los Hermanos Castro. Shortly after he would found the Orquesta Casino de la Playa. This band, with its jazz arrangements, would prove to be a complete revolution in the Cuban music scene, touring Central and South America and appearing on film in both Cuba and the United States.

In 1940, Sacasas left for New York, where after some difficulty he was able to found his own orchestra in 1941. They played in the Colony Club in Chicago and the cabarets La Conga Club and Havana Madrid in Manhattan.

In 1959 he became the musical director of the hotel Fountainbleu in Miami and Club Ronde. In 1963 he became the director of the cabaret Tropicoro for thirteen years, after which he retired to Miami, where he died in 1998.

Birth and Death Data: Born November 23, 1912, Died January 22, 1998

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1938 - 1949

Roles Represented in DAHR: piano, leader, composer, songwriter

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

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 50 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-027838 10-in. 9/19/1938 El reino de tus ojos Orquesta Casino de la Playa ; Miguelito Valdés Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor BS-033867 10-in. before 2/27/1939 Cuando vuelvas a quererme Orquesta Casino de la Playa ; Anselmo Sacasas ; Miguelito Valdés Re-recording : Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and piano solo instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BS-035381 10-in. before 3/30/1939 Llora campesino Marcelino Guerra ; Orquesta Casino de la Playa ; Carlos Suárez ; Miguelito Valdés Re-recording : Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio songwriter  
Victor BS-035557 10-in. before 4/3/1939 Oriente Orquesta Casino de la Playa ; Anselmo Sacasas ; Miguelito Valdés Re-recording : Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and piano solo instrumentalist, piano  
Victor BS-037007 10-in. before 6/27/1939 Orquesta Casino de la Playa ; Anselmo Sacasas ; Miguelito Valdés Re-recording : Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and piano solo instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D5XB-0016 10-in. 1/4/1945 Acabaste Octavio Mendoza ; Orquesta Sacasas Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer, leader, instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D5XB-0017 10-in. 1/4/1945 Caramba, caramba Octavio Mendoza ; Orquesta Sacasas Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D5XB-0018 10-in. 1/4/1945 Linda mujer Octavio Mendoza ; Orquesta Sacasas Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D5XB-0019 10-in. 1/4/1945 Koki koka Octavio Mendoza ; Orquesta Sacasas Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D5XB-0149 10-in. 3/16/1945 Sol tropical Octavio Mendoza ; Orquesta Sacasas Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, composer, instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D5XB-0150 10-in. 3/16/1945 Pa' lo pollo mai Octavio Mendoza ; Sacasas Havana Madrid Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D5XB-0151 10-in. 3/16/1945 Si tu me llevas te llevo Octavio Mendoza ; Orquesta Sacasas Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D5XB-0152 10-in. 3/16/1945 Y que le voy a hacer? Sacasas Havana Madrid Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, instrumentalist, piano, songwriter  
Victor D5XB-0410 10-in. 6/13/1945 Me vacilón Octavio Mendoza ; Orquesta Sacasas Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, instrumentalist, piano, songwriter  
Victor D5XB-0411 10-in. 6/13/1945 Pronto José Octavio Mendoza ; Orquesta Sacasas Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D5XB-0412 10-in. 6/13/1945 La ruñidera Octavio Mendoza ; Orquesta Sacasas Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D5XB-0413 10-in. 6/13/1945 Capullito de Aleli Orquesta Sacasas Jazz/dance band leader, instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D6XB-1328 10-in. 3/8/1946 Guardo un recuerdo Orquesta Sacasas ; Walfredo de los Reyes Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D6XB-1330 10-in. 3/8/1946 Mambo Rubén González ; Orquesta Sacasas Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, instrumentalist, piano, composer  
Victor D6XB-3374 10-in. 12/5/1946 Me deja solito Rubén González ; Orquesta Sacasas ; Anselmo Sacasas Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D6XB-3375 10-in. 12/5/1946 Te seguiré queriendo Orquesta Sacasas ; Bobby Ramos Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, piano, leader, songwriter  
Victor D6XB-3376 10-in. 12/5/1946 Lengua mala Rubén González ; Orquesta Sacasas Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, piano, leader  
Victor D6XB-3377 10-in. 12/5/1946 Soltando chispas Rubén González ; Orquesta Sacasas Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D7XB-0251 10-in. 4/11/1947 Cose, cose, cose Rubén González ; Orquesta Sacasas Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet and vocal ensemble leader, instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D7XB-0252 10-in. 4/11/1947 Quizás, quizás, quizás Rubén González ; Octavio Mendoza ; Orquesta Sacasas Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet leader, instrumentalist, piano  
(Results 1-25 of 50 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Sacasas, Anselmo," accessed November 5, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/108359.

Sacasas, Anselmo. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 5, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/108359.

"Sacasas, Anselmo." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 5 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/108359

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