Search - Tito Gomez :: Con La Orquesta Riverside

Tito Gomez Con La Orquesta Riverside

luis de quesada | jamaica, new york United States | 04/26/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Havana,Cuba's "Orquesta Riverside" was founded in the late 1930's by talented and famous violinist composer Eduardo Gonzalez Mantici as the "Orquesta Havana Riverside". Even though Gonzalez Mantici was a violinist he decided to form a jazz band with a group of talented musicians from other groups. In some early recordings by "Havana Riverside" Maestro Gonzalez-Mantici can be heard playing violin solos mostly in musical portions of "boleros". Afro-Cuban music luminaries like Miguelito Valdes sang and recorded with the band as well as Mexico's "Tenor de Las Americas" Pedro Vargas. During the early 40's a talented cuban "sonero/bolerista" Tito Gomez joined the band. Later in the mid 40's maestro Gonzalez Mantici left and was replaced by the talented sax player Pedro Vila (who was my neighbor in Havana's Edificio Providencia). Pedro directed the band until around november of 1957, when he left for personal reasons. Under Vila, the Orquesta Riverside achieved its fame and its very best and most popular repertoire. Vila left the band under the direction of the talented cuban composer Adolfo Guzman. Guzman directed the orchestra for a few years, until he was substituted by Nelson Arocha, who to my knowledge still leads the band in Cuba. Tito Gomez, the band singer, from the 1940's through 1975, is one of Cuba's leading "sonero and bolerista" singers. After nearly a lifetime singing career with Orquesta Riverside he joined the orchestra of Maestro Enrique Jorrin. Tito has sung and toured Latin America and Europe with "Las Estrellas de Areito", under Buenavista Social Club's maestro Ruben Gonzalez and with Charanga Rubalcava, among others. This CD by Tito Gomez & Orquesta Riverside will delight you. The songs were recorded in Havana's legendary "Estudio Teatro de Radio Progreso" from 1956 through 1958 and I guarantee they will more than satisfy any afro-cuban music fan. Orquesta Riverside was and remains one of Cuba's best bands of all time. So "GUAPACHA,PA'GOZA!"