Benny Moré traveled the musical skies like a shooting star; here one moment gone the next. Rising from the poorest section of Santa Isabel de la Lajas Cuba he became a internationally known star known by many as ‘El Barbaro del Ritmo’ or by many as simply ‘El Benny’.  Bartolome Maxmiliano Gutierrez Moré was born on August 24, 1919 in La Guinea section of Santa Isabel de la Lajas, Cuba, the eldest of 18 children. His interest in music started early, he often sang, made his first instrument when he was 6 years old and created bands with his siblings. He left school in the fourth grade to cut sugarcane. When Bartolo was 17, he traveled to Havana for the first time, returning to his home town after 6 months. He soon returned to Havana with a guitar and a plan. Times were difficult for him as he tried to make a name for himself. His perserverance pais off when Conjunto Matamoros hired him as lead singer. In June of 1945 the group traveled to Mexico. Bartolo decided to stay, before they left the band members told him one thing; he needed to change his name. In Mexico Bartolo or Bartolome was a slang term for a donkey, not a great name for his artistic career. He chose the name Benny. Benny stood in MX for 7 years, making a name for himself around South America and the Caribbean but not in Cuba. Upon his returnt o his native land in April of 1952, he found himself working at radio stations again and slowly becoming known. He joined the badn of Ernesto Duarte Brito and his popularity began rise  After More discovered  Duarte Brito was not taking him to certain gigs because he was Black, he filed a complaint with RCA Victor - they ignored him- leading him to start his own band with the help of his cousin, the legendary Cuban Trumpet virtuoso, Chocolaté Armenteros. The band recorded their first song in November of 1953. ‘Manzanillo’ exploded and Benny became known throughout Cuba. Sadly Benny struggled with alcoholism and died of chirrosis of the liver at just 43 years old. Fidel Castro sent soldiers to carry his coffin and the island mourned the death of their greatest voice.

link to playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1CtbenPIUCPOPTLb5gwS0V?si=a589b2f20be54835