Biography

Ezequiel Lino Frías Gómez was born on April 10, 1915 in Havana, Cuba.

Musician, Pianist, Arranger, Composer. He began his artistic career in the early 30’s, working with singer and composer Joseito Fernandez, in the orchestra of Raimundo Pla.

Later he became part of the Fantasía Orchestra.

At the end of the decade he worked with the Septeto Carabina de Ases.

Some time later he joined Arsenio Rodríguez’s Conjunto Todos Estrellas in September 1940, remaining in it until November 1943, leaving his place to Adolfo Oreilly Panacea, to join the Sonora Matancera in 1944, until 1976, where he contributed in an important way both in the composition and musical arrangements, imposing his particular piano solos.

In 1974 he helped found with Armando Sánchez the Conjunto Son de la Loma.

Upon his retirement from La Sonora Matancera, the Puerto Rican producer René López invited Lino, together with Israel “Cachao” López, to revive the descargas he had already recorded in the fifties, assembling a Típica together with “Cachao”.

In his independent years Lino worked with Johnny Pacheco and Carlos “Caito” Diaz.

He accompanied great artists in recordings, in that period in New York, such as La Lupe, Olga Guillot, Daniel Santos, Carmen Delia Dipini, Bobby Capo, among others.

He died on May 22, 1983 in New York, USA.

Lino Frías, who for twenty-two years was the pianist of the Sonora Matancera, composed the very popular Mata Siguaraya in 1951.

One of the most popular photos of the Sonora Matancera.

In it we can see Lino Frías from his piano looking at Celia Cruz, great interpreter of Mata Siguaraya, together with Benny Moré and Oscar D’León.

Ezequiel Lino Frías Gómez was born in Havana and died in New York in 1983.

Lino studied piano at the Havana Conservatory. For a time, in the 1930s, he played in the Raimundo Pia y Rivero Orchestra, whose singer was Joseito Fernandez. He would later play in the Orquesta Fantasía.

In 1939 he joined the Septeto Carabina de Ases, led by Mariano Oxamendi, guitarist and second voice, and with Bienvenido Grande, singer and harpsichord player, Nilo Alfonso, double bass, José Bergerey, maracas and third voice, Ramón Liviano Cisneros, tres player, Florencio Coco Morejón, bongos player, and Félix Chappotín, trumpet player.

In 1944, Lino joined the Sonora Matancera as a pianist, where he remained until 1976.

In the 1960s, Frías joined the movement that created the so-called salsa music, alongside Fania All Stars, Johny Pacheco, Bobby Rodríguez, Carlos Patato Valdés y Caíto, Carlos Manuel Díaz (Matanzas 1905-New York 1990), among others.

Don Adolfo, a Puerto Rican timbalero, worked with Lino Frías in a group that included some of the most renowned musicians and singers of the 1950s and 60s: Olga Guillot, Daniel Santos, Lucecita Benítez, Bobby Capó, Marco Antonio Múñiz, Carmen Delia Depiní, Chucho Avellaneda, Sergio González Siaba and La Lupe, among others.

In 1974, parallel to his work as a pianist in the Sonora Matancera, Lino Frías created the ensemble Son de la Loma, with the participation of Cuban-Niuyorquinos such as Marcelino Guerra, Rapindey (Cienfuegos 1914-Spain 1996), author of Convergencia, and Pedro Rudy Calzado (Santiago de Cuba 1929-New York 2002).

Due to arthritis, in 1976 Lino left the Sonora. His place is taken by Javier Vázquez, (Matanzas 1936), son of the double bass player Pablo Vázquez.

It is said that the death of Lino Frías, in 1983, was a hard blow for his great and faithful friend Celia Cruz (Havana 1925-New Jersey 2003).

In addition to Mata Siguaraya, Lino Frías composed Pan de piquito, Óyela, gózala, Vamos todos de panchanga, Cañonazo, Vive la vida hoy, Suena mi bajo, Convencida, Afecto y cariño, Has vuelto a mí, Baila Yemayá.

Also Read: Israel “Cachao” López Sobrado en fama y respeto en los años setenta se dedicó a mantener la tradición a nivel supremo

On January 26, 1993 was born in the city of Caracas Venezuela, Cristina Veruska Verdú Mendoza, a woman full of Barloventeña roots.

Currently doing artistic work in Peru,

Premiering the songs “ME CANSE DE TI, LA NEGRITA, Y PASITO A PASITO” This is the first advance of “Caminando”, solo album that the Venezuelan artist plans to release this year and which will include songs of her authorship.

Third finalist of “LA VOZ PERU” season 2022, a program of great artistic relevance, where for the first time in the program a participant arrives as a foreign singer to the final.

Singer in Tonny Succar’s orchestra in Peru with Mimy Succar.

Special participation in the video clip, QUIMBARA of the producer Tonny Succar.

Participates hand in hand with the great musician and international producer Tito Manrique creator of the Salsa criolla, nominated to the Latin Grammy and winner of VIÑA DEL MAR. Participating in a solo track on his album Abriendo Caminos with the song and video of the song Taita Bilongo (Peruvian salsa/afro fusion).

From the production of Puerto Rican composer Eduardo Zayas and his project ¨EZ la Banda¨ sings with another legend of salsa singer Rafy Andino singer of the MULENZE Orchestra the song ¨Sabor y Sandunga¨, also recorded a song with Luchito Muños “Dos puntos de vista”.

Veruska fue invitada especial en dos temas de la producción llamada “Huerta de Soneros” con el tema ¨Yo soy la Rumba¨ y otro junto al legendario cantante Johnny Vega (cantante de Cortijo y su Combo) ¨Nació para cantar¨, igual del compositor Eduardo Zayas.

Also invited to the production of producer Gerson Zayas, performing the song “Cuando deje de amarte”.

Works with producer and pianist Kike Purizaga, Mario Cuba, singer Carlos Mosquera, with Juan Medrano “Cotito” known as the voice of the cajo of Peru and many more.

Along with producer Alberto Crespo and Daniel Espinoza, recording choirs for the film of Ricardo Rey and Bobby Cruz with Rodrigo Mendoza and Wilmer Lozano.

She is invited to work with international musician Alfredo Naranjo in his project “El Guageo” with singer Edgar Dolor Quijada.

Later they work together with the great Venezuelan musician Nene Quintero in the “Be Jazz Sessions” project also winner of the Pepsi Awards 2019 which sold out all their concerts during the framework of its activities which had international reach.

She sings as a special guest with the classic Sonero del Caribe.

She shares the stage as a duo with Rodrigo Mendoza, singer of Dimensión Latina and of great worldwide trajectory.

She is part of the project “Salsa Master” with the participation of Edgar dolor Quijada, Marcial Isturiz, Rodrigo Mendoza and percussionist Cheo Navarro.

Veruzska was also a special guest in the orchestra “RUMBEROS DEL CALLEJON” of Carlos Padron in which she participates in its production along with the staff of artists such as Wilmer Lozano, Rodrigo Mendoza, Gonzalo Diaz, Memo Arroyave, and international artists such as Tito Nieves, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Maelo Ruiz and Domingo Quiñonez.

He began his musical career when he was only eight years old in the Afro-Venezuelan genre (traditional Venezuelan Afro music). Where he participated in various festivals being in first place in each of them.

Later he joined the ranks of the prestigious “Orquesta Latino Caribeña” of the orchestra system which is directed at that time by the great maestro Alberto Vergara, orchestra with great projection and impact in the country (Venezuela), participating in major festivals in countries like the United States and Colombia captivating the public with his voice.

Pasito a Pasito · Veruska Verdú

All the power of her voice, the flavor and the feeling.

Songs from the album that she is recently finishing the recording of

La Negrita

Pasito a Pasito

Me Canse de ti

It is a great joy for me to share this event with you. My dear friend Veruska Verdu does not stop growing and now she is going all out with the help of Takina Records to make a Celia Cruz Tribute in style.
By: Alberto Valles Salazar.

Also Read: Virginia Ramirez is the artist of the XXI century, the Princess of Piano and Voice, the hope that will save the new generations of anti-music