Facundo Rivero and His Quartet

Artist: Facundo Rivero and His Quartet

LP: Cha-Cha-Cha: The New Exciting Dance Rhythm From Cuba — double 7" EP

Song: "Negra Mi Cha-Cha-Cha"

[ listen ]

Here's a blast of cha-cha-cha from the middle of the 1950s, when it was a fresh new set of steps that challenged the mambo as the Latin dance of preference in American ballrooms across the land. There's not much to read about Facundo Rivero on the Internet (although I did unearth a handsome lad by that name who's got a Twitter account), but the musical Cuban Facundo Rivero was evidently a famous pianist and bandleader, born in Santa Clara, Cuba in 1910. According to this short Spanish language biography, Rivero played music in Cuba for a number of years, then went to Mexico in 1950, worked in a variety of countries, then landed in New York City for a while after 1959. He then alternated between New York and Miami, ultimately retiring to the warm climate of the Florida city. I find no mention of Facundo's death, so I can only assume he's still lazing around in the Miami sunshine and will be celebrating his 109th birthday at some point this year. 

Rivero is just one of the talented Cuban musicians springing the latest Latin dance craze on unsuspecting Americans in this double 7" EP that contains eight tracks simply bursting with cha-cha. Noro Morales, Ernesto Duarte, Tito Rodriguez and Al Castellanos are among some of the others. The ad on the back of the cover informs us that "EPs are the answer to 'The Music you want when you want it.'" I couldn't agree more. EPs are like the Spotify of 1955!

[ Facundo Rivero ]