Cachao. the arranger for Arcano's Radiofonica

Flutist Antonio Arcaño, led the most popular Orchestra in Cuba of the 1940s. Starting in 1944 his fourteen piece charanga orchestra was featured on its nightly program on Radio Mil Diez at 7PM. Arcaño's orchestra was knowm for innovations such as the Nuevo Ritmo which later became known as the Danzon Mambo which was created by the brothers Orestes and Israel(Cachao) Lopez. Arcaño was also instrumental in the introduction of the Conga drum into the Charanga personnel and the popularization of the flute as a lead improvising instrument.

Cachao as a result of his long career is remembered as the great bass innovator of Cubamusic.He was known for the introduction of the tumbao into the bass line and his role in popularizing the Cuban discarga. What is rarely mentioned is how great an arranger he was. Cachao and his brother Orestes were the main arrangers for the Arcaño orchestra which had a constant demand for new arrangements. It was in this context that they created the NuevoRitmo which came to be known as Mambo, the final section of the Danzon-Mambo in which soloists could stretch out and improvise. Here you hear featured one of his best selections
which featured a form he frequently used, the medley. Cuban listeners and dancers were familiar with American songs since US broadcasts were well within reach of Cuba. Here is one of his best, Broadway.

Cachao uses Rachmoninoff's Prelude in C# minor for the intro and then segues into Vincent Youman's Hallelujah and then into Harry Warren's Serenade in Blue for the second theme. Listen to how the strings rock out the mambo section! Cachao was obviously influenced by
American big band arrangement styles.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Arcaño
• Cachao
• Danzon
• Mambo
• Charanga. Radiofonica
• Strings
• Flute
• Bass
• Medley
• Rachmaninoff
• Hallelujah
• violins

[JazzloverNYC]

The CD I copied this from, Danzon Mambo, credits Israel Lopez but I just noticed that the CD with a recording made in 1974 credits Orestes.

[ronpo3]

esta es el baile nacional de Cuba señores!!