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José Antonio Fajardo, in the month of November we refer to one of the greatest musicians that the island of Cuba has given in the last century; we are talking about maestro José Antonio Fajardo Ramos: flutist, composer, orchestra conductor and music producer; one of the great promoters of Cuban music represented in the rhythms of bolero, son, guaracha, mambo, chachachá and pachanga.

José Fajardo was born in Guane, province of Pinar del Río in 1919. He began his musical career as a maraquero in his father Alberto Fajardo’s orchestra, later he took up the flute.

From the age of 16 he was part of several groups such as: Joseíto Fernández, Paulina Álvarez, Melodías del 40, La Romance de René Álvarez, the orchestra of maestro Antonio María Romeu, the orchestra of pianist Luis González Valdés: “Neno” González and the orchestra of Antonio Arcaño, known as Arcaño y sus Maravillas.

After his time in these famous groups, in 1949, Fajardo created his own orchestra called Fajardo y sus Estrellas, with musicians such as: Orlando “Cachaito López”, René Fernández on piano, violinists Ignacio Berroa and Félix Reyna, who was also the composer; percussionist Jesús Esquijarrosa on timbales; Carlos Real on tumbadora and Rolando Valdés on güiro; in the vocal part he initially integrated Joseito Valdés.

In the early fifties, with the boom of chachachá in 1951, things improved a lot and the charangas orchestras began to perform in the best cabarets, aristocratic salons and private parties of high society, such as the Montmatre and Tropicana cabarets.

Fajardo became internationally known in the mid 50’s at the head of his orchestra, Fajardo y sus Estrellas, he was the first charanguero to introduce the cymbals to the timbal and the pioneer in the incorporation of the cowbell and the bongo to the charanga, his group was one of the sensations of the golden age of chachacha and pachanga.

After going into exile in the 1960s, he toured Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America, popularizing an eminently Cuban repertoire.

Maestro José Fajardo has been one of the only musicians who have stood out in different periods of Latin music; initially in Cuba, in the 50’s with the arrival of Chachachá, later in the era of Pachanga and Boogaloo, in the sixties in the United States, and he also came to prominence in the golden era of salsa in the seventies and eighties of the last century.

In the seventies, eighties and later, the flute master recorded with Joe Quijano & His Conjunto Cachana, Tico-Alegre All Stars; Ray Barretto and Adalberto Santiago; Johnny Pacheco, Pupi, Javier Y Su Charanga; Jimmy Sabater, Orlando Contreras, Alfredo Valdés Jr, Fania All Stars, Louie Ramirez, Graciela and Mario Bauza, Israel “Cachao” Lopez, with our great Joe Arroyo in the nineties and with Hector Casanova, Mario Muñoz, Andy Gonzalez, Eddie Montalvo, Manny Oquendo, Alfredo “Chocolate” Armenteros, Carlos “Patato” Valdes, Alfredo Rodriguez and Francisco Aguabella.

After a brilliant musical career spanning more than six decades, Maestro José Antonio Fajardo passed away in New York City on December 11, 2001, leaving an enormous legacy to our culture.

The great musical contribution of this portentous son of Pinar del Rio, has highlighted him as the highest flute of Cuba and Latin America, a true ambassador of Cuban music and salsa in the world; from our beautiful page ‘Los Mejores Salseros del Mundo’ we want to highlight the enormous artistic career of maestro José Antonio Fajardo Ramos as a tribute to his wonderful musical work.

José Fajardo Jr.

You can read: Ángel Bonne He was part of Juan Formell’s Los Van Van Orchestra, and collaborated with the impressive Irakere band of maestro Chucho Valdés

For Xiomara Laugart, the past never goes away; she likes to hide in music. “My faith, I believe in you, you won’t go away,” Alberto Tosca wrote to her in that song and Xiomara seems to have decided to live by those lyrics, to this day.

Her loud laughter filled my kitchen this afternoon, while Omar brewed coffee, many times, and my mother cooked pumpkin flan. She evokes her mother in the sweet, comes back to life and tells.

She tells with astonishing naturalness that she never studied music and goes on and on. She goes on to freedom, and overflows with passion, because for her freedom is music.

Technically she could do whatever she wants, but if she does not feel it, if it does not make her vibrate, Xiomara, “The voice of Cuba”, could not sing.

On September 8, 1960 in Guantanamo, Cuba, XIOMARA LAUGART, nicknamed “La Negra”, was born. Excellent singer, established in Massachusetts.

Before emigrating to the United States, Laugart had an extensive career within the Cuban Nueva Trova movement. He has recorded more than 17 albums.

Representative of Cuban music in various parts of the world. He worked with the group Pisos Nuevos in Nicaragua. Also with Descemer Bueno. He led the group Yerba Buena. She represented Celia Cruz on Broadway.

Xiomara Laugart was born in Guantánamo. She attended university and graduated in Economics, then began her musical career through the nueva trova, a movement of political musical protest, very popular between the sixties and nineties.

He studied music at the Escuela de Superación Profesional Ignacio Cervantes. He began his artistic career professionally in 1985.

His beginnings were quite intense, participating quickly in international stages.

In 1979 he participated in the Festival of Political Song in Berlin. In 1980 he traveled to Nicaragua with the Pinos Nuevos Group, from the Isle of Youth.

The following year she participated again as a guest at the Berlin Political Song Festival and that same year she won third prize at the Political Song Interpretation Contest in Sochi, Soviet Union.

In 1980 she won third place in interpretation at the Adolfo Guzmán Cuban Music Contest; she participated in the V Festival y Activo de la Nueva Trova, the VI Cumbre and Carifesta. He belonged to the Guiñol Theater group of Isla de la Juventud. He was a member of the group Aconcagua and Talla Extra (X-L), and, for a time, worked with Alberto Tosca.

In 1982 he performed at the Café Concert in Mexico, participated in the Festival for Non-Intervention in Central America and Disarmament, held in Holland, Belgium, and the same year, he traveled to France. He became a regular in Mexico and returned to the Aztec country in 1984.

That same year she participated in the Political Song Festival held in Sopot, Poland, and later toured Honduras and Costa Rica.

His voice has a very wide register, although he stands out for his high tones.

She shows a vivid and exceptional sense of rhythm that allows her to interpret from bolero to salsa, from danzón to guaracha to the most sophisticated jazz and funk.

Atrapando espacios, Qué manera de quererte, Hoy mi Habana, Se fue, Ni un ya no estás and Oh melancolía! are some of the songs that are part of her repertoire and that continue to receive a standing ovation every time she performs on the stages of South Florida.

“The first person who introduced me to Miami was the maestro Meme Solis.

Meme has been my mentor in this city and was responsible for opening the doors to a new audience that followed him for years and now goes to my concerts, she says when referring to her close relationship with the legendary Cuban composer.

Source: Hyper Media

Xiomara Laugart

You can read: Israel Kantor was an excellent bassist, arranger and composer who achieved great popularity in Cuba for his vocal technique and original “Sonear” style.