Wildman of Rhythm: The Life and Music of Benny Moré

by John Radanovich

Overview

Benny More (1919-1963) was one of the giants at the center of the golden age of Cuban music. Arguably the greatest singer ever to come from the island, his name is still spoken with reverence and nostalgia by Cubans and Cuban exiles alike.

Unable to read music, he nevertheless wrote more than a dozen Cuban standards. His band helped shape what came to be known as the Afro-Cuban sound and, later, salsa. More epitomized the Cuban big-band era and was one of the most important precursors to the music later featured in the Buena Vista Social Club. Even now, to hear his recordings for the first time, it is impossible not to be thrilled and amazed.

Journalist John Radanovich has spent years tracking down the musicians who knew More and More family members, seeking out rare recordings and little-known photographs. Radanovich provides the definitive biography of the man and his music, whose legacy was forgotten in the larger scheme of political difficulties between the United States and Cuba. Even the exact spelling of More's first name was unknown until now. The author also examines the milieu of Cuban music in the 1950s, when Havana was the playground of Hollywood stars and the Mafia ran the nightclubs and casinos.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780813040820
Publisher:	University Press of Florida
Publication date:	09/20/2009
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

John Radanovich has published articles and reviews in Living Blues and New Orleans Times-Picayune. He has covered the New York music scene for the Bergen Record newspaper, and has written about Latin music, jazz, and world music for Offbeat and Downbeat.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xvii

Prologue 1

1 La Guinea, 1919-1935 6

2 Rumba, Son, and the Orchestras 14

3 Sugar, Guitars, Vertientes, 1935-1940 18

4 Havana Apprenticeship, 1940-1943 24

5 Conjunto Matamoros, 1944-1945 30

6 In the Land of the Aztecs, 1945-1948 35

7 Locas por el Mambo, 1948-1950 51

8 Return to Cuba Voice First, 1950-1952 58

9 Duarte, 1952-1953 67

10 La Banda Gigante, 1953-1954 73

11 Son Montuno and Murder Inc 91

12 The Hogs and the Hits, 1955-1956 101

13 Recordings, Tours, 1957-1959 123

14 Revolution and Death, 1959-1963 140

15 Influence 158

Notes 161

Sources 173

Discography 177

Index 189

Editorial Reviews

Wildman of Rhythm [is] the singer’s first English-language biography that finally exposes…this corner of the Earth to the genius that was Benny Moré.”—LA Weekly 



“We must express our gratitude to Radanovich for spending several years to locate and interrogate the surviving family members and musicians involved in the Wildman of Rhythm’s saga, while seeking out rare recordings and little-known photographs in order to tell the story . . . of the one and only Benny Moré.”—Latin Beat Magazine


“Captures the singer’s flamboyant manner, sense of humor and hard-living lifestyle, and his dedication to his family. Moré emerges finally as an immensely tragic figure, remaining in Cuba during the flurry of events surrounding the Cuban revolution that sent other artists abroad.”— fRoots Magazine

From the Publisher