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Cha-cha-cha’s 60th anniversary
Rafael Lam
THE cha-cha-cha has turned 60 years of age. Its
beginnings were marked by the recording by the
Panart company, in March 1953 of the single “La
engañadora”, with “Silver Stars” on the
b-side. That started the so-called cha-cha-cha
fever, an unrivalled dance rhythm “even danced by
Queen Elizabeth,” as one song goes.
THE REAL HISTORY
Of course, cha-cha-cha wasn’t born overnight; it was
part of a 15-year process in which other Cuban
rhythms played a part, of danzón fused with
son.
One of the turning points was the composition by
Orestes López of Mambo (Danzón with
Son rhythms) in 1938. That was the beginning of
the “New Rhythm” saga, which came to be called
Mambo.
In this rich Cuban project the main players were
brothers Israel (Cachao) and Orestes López in the
Orquesta Arcaño y sus Maravillas; the Melodías del
40 band, Ideal, Fajardo y sus Estrellas, Neno
González and Ninón Mondéjar’s Orquesta América, in
which Enrique Jorrín, a genuine musical genius, was
musical director.
With Jorrín', the Orquesta América began to
experiment with ways of playing, with the leading
sound of the güiro rhythm of Gustavo Tamayo,
creator of the particular way of playing
cha-cha-cha. Dancers moved to the new rhythm which
was broadcast on various radio stations and in dance
halls like Amores de Verano on Prado and Neptuno
streets in Central Havana.
Mondéjar came up with a danzón tune for each
one of the clubs where they played and the band
earned the name “Creator of sung danzón.” Of
course, behind the project was Jorrín, supported by
musicians of the stature of Félix Reina (violin),
Gustavo Tamayo (güiro) and Antonio Sánchez
Reyes “Musiquita” on piano.
There was a veritable constellation of stars, many
of them from the great Orquesta de Arcaño y sus
Maravillas, but interested in a more innovative
sound appealing to the younger generation. These
dedicated and brilliant musicians created a real
musical revolution; great innovations in music are,
at times, almost imperceptible movements.
The cha-cha-cha that Jorrín, in conjunction with
other stars of the Orquesta América, was developing,
consisted in reality of danzón sung by the
members of the group. They sang what was
fashionable, from chotis and Spanish
cuplés to popular street songs.
The melodies were based on small motifs, generally
with two beats and a few simple chords to which it
was easy to dance. The final part of the piece
featured an improvisation with the flute at the
center, taking over from the piano solos. Therein
lies the secret of the cha-cha-cha.
After the Orquesta América, the Orquesta
Sensación and Orquesta Aragón came on the scene,
taking the cha-cha-cha to the top, by mixing the new
rhythm with son and modern mambo
rhythms.
A magnified cha-cha-cha.
THE REACH OF CHA-CHA-CHA
The cha-cha-cha, which marked the rise of Cuban
music from 1953 onward, lined the pockets of music
businesses. Enrique Jorrín recounted, “When “La
engañadora” was released by Panart, the company was
virtually bankrupt and suddenly had millionaire
profits. With my contributions they bought a record
factory, my recordings wore out the jukeboxes.”
Rolando Valdés confirmed that with the cha-cha-cha,
led by Jorrín with the Orquesta América, “we toppled
the great jazz bands from the top-class dance
halls.”
Jorrín added, “The cha-cha-cha used different
instruments from the jazz bands. At the time,
Charanga bands only used to play in third-rate
venues, in the Marianao beach area, or at Black
parties, and overnight, with the popularity of “La
engañadora”, they became the favorites.
Cha-cha-cha achieved world durability and became the
basis for 1950-1960's rock and roll. The basic form
was taken from the 1960 arrangement by RenéTouzet of
Rosendo Ruiz’ cha-cha-cha “Ammarren el loco,”
explained U.S. musicologist Ned Sublette.
“Louie Louie” is the finest example, alongside
Richie Valens' version of “La bamba,” Duke of Earl's
“Satisfacción” and many others.
Brigitte Bardot danced the cha-cha-cha in her daring
film, God Created Woman. The key song “María”
in the West Side Story musical, is a
cha-cha-cha. The king of mambo, Pérez Prado, sang
cha-cha-cha, Machito y sus Afrocubanos (the kings of
Latin jazz), Fajardo y sus Estrellas all
performed cha-cha-cha in famous cabarets like
Havana’s Montmartre and New York's Waldorf Astoria.
“The cha-cha-cha is king,” noted music critic John
Wilson, adding that it had inundated almost all the
parties and dance floors in the world, and a
nationwide chain of dance studios reported that it
had become the most popular dance among its
students. Sam Cooke was totally right when he
recorded “Everybody loves to cha-cha-cha.” The
rhythm reached New York's Greenwich Village, and in
order to increase their popularity, many bands
adopted names related to Cuban music, cha-cha-cha
and Havana.
With the cha-cha-cha’s (“La engañadora”, “El
túnel”, “Nada para ti”, “El alardoso”)
Jorrín inspired other composers: Rosendo Rosell (“Calculadora”),
Miguel Jorrín (“Espíritu
burlón”, “No te bañes en el malecón”), and Ramón
Cabrera (“Esperanza”).
What
was then a new rhythm, a rhythm that for many
remains unsurpassed in terms of success and taste,
is today celebrating its 60th anniversary.
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