Lilí Martínez

Lilí Martínez
Birth name Luis Martínez Griñán
Also known as La Perla de Oriente[nb 1]
Born (1917-02-16)16 February 1917
Guantánamo, Cuba
Died 17 September 1990(1990-09-17) (aged 75)
Havana, Cuba
Genres Son cubano, guaracha, bolero
Occupation(s) Musician, composer, arranger
Instruments Piano
Years active 1934-67, 1983
Labels RCA Victor, Panart, Puchito, Suave, EGREM
Associated acts Arsenio Rodríguez, Conjunto Chappottín

Luis Martínez Griñán (16 February 1917 – 17 September 1990), better known as Lilí Martínez, was a Cuban pianist, arranger and composer specializing in the son montuno style. He played in the Conjunto de Arsenio Rodríguez and Conjunto Chappottín. Together with Rubén González and Peruchín, he is said to have "forged the style of modem Cuban piano playing in the 1940s".[2]

Life and career

Conjunto de Arsenio Rodríguez ca. 1949. Martínez is the first from the right, crouching.

Martínez was born to a Cuban mother and a Spanish father in Guantánamo on 16 February 1917.[3][nb 2] He started playing music in local bands at age 17.[5] In 1937 he formed his own band, Los Champions de Lilí Martínez, which worked for the CMKS radio. In 1943 he founded La Rareza del 43. He joined Arsenio Rodríguez's conjunto in 1945 after the departure of Rubén González.[1] In 1950, after Rodríguez decided to continue his career in New York, the members of his conjunto that remained in Havana formed Conjunto Chappottín, with Félix Chappottín as leader and trumpeter, Lilí Martínez as pianist and arranger, and Miguelito Cuní as lead vocalist.

Martínez left Conjunto Chappotín in 1958. In 1960 he married Coralia Camiño. In the early 1960s he played with the group Estrellas de Chocolate, directed by Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros. He then directed a band called Los Diablos Rojos in Holguín before officially retiring in 1967.[4][5] In 1983 he gave an improvised concert together with Chucho Valdés and Frank Fernández at the ICAIC.[6][7] He died on 26 October 1990 in Havana and his remains were transferred to Guantánamo in 1995.[1][nb 3]

Style

Martínez's compositions and arrangements are firmly established in the son oriental traditions from the region where he grew up. In particular, he frequently incorporated patterns from nengón, a precursor to the son, in his compositions, influenced by tresero Chito Latamblé who played with him for years.[8] Other traditional genres that influenced his music are changüí, kiribá and regina.

Despite being rooted in son traditions, Martínez's compositions also incorporated classical and jazz influences, giving rise a very innovative approach.[6] He was one of the first Cuban pianists to master solo improvisations based on guajeos, also known as tumbaos.[6]

Legacy

Martínez is widely considered one of the most influential pianists from Cuba, despite attaining little fame outside the country.[2] He has been called "the greatest sonero pianist" by Chucho Valdés, and also cited as an influence by salsa pianists such as Papo Lucca, Larry Harlow and Eddie Palmieri.[6]

Discography

Notes

  1. ↑ Literally The Pearl of the East; this nickname was given to him by famous bandleader Antonio Arcaño.[1]
  2. ↑ Some sources list 19 August 1915 as his birth date.[4][5]
  3. ↑ Some sources list 26 October 1990 as his death date.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Pendás, José (16 February 2013). "Músico cubano Lili Martínez: la Perla de Oriente". Radio Cadena Habana (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  2. 1 2 McAuslan, Fiona; Norman, Matthew (2003). "Cuban music". The Rough Guide to Cuba (2nd ed.). London, UK: Rough Guides. p. 538.
  3. ↑ Fernández-Larrea, Ramón (2007). "Lilí Martínez Griñán". Kabiosiles: los músicos de Cuba (in Spanish). Barcelona, Spain: Linkgua. pp. 43–44.
  4. 1 2 3 "Lilí Martínez". EcuRed (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 Dalmace, Patrick. "Lilí Martínez". Montuno Cubano (in French). Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Breve Historia: Luis "Lilí" Martínez Griñán". YouTube (in Spanish). 2004. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  7. ↑ laevitia (20 June 2008). "Los Tres Pianos - Lilí Martínez, Chucho Valdés, Frank Fernández". Latinamericalandya (in Spanish). Blogspot. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  8. ↑ Shepherd, John; Horn, David (2014). "Nengón". Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World, Volume 9. London, UK: Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 535.

External links

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