Antonio Maria Romeu-Marrero

Romeu studied music in 1884 with Joaquín Mariano Martínez, and practiced the piano at a local church by the beach in Jibacoa. At twelve he played at his first dance, and composed his first work. In 1899 he moved to Havana and played in cafés. He was invited to play in the Orquesta Cervantes, one of several charangas founded at the beginning of the 1900s. Charangas supplanted the típicas as the standard instrumental line-up for the danzón. Initially called charangas francesas (though they have nothing to do with France), they were 'invented' at the start of the 20th century. The basic idea was to pitch the tone of the orchestra higher and brighter than the típica, by removing the brass, replacing the clarinet with a flute and replacing the kettle drums with a new invention, the pailas criollas, now called timbales. The Orquesta Cervantes is the earliest known charanga to have included a piano.

Compositions

Romeu wrote over 500 danzones, many of which have been adapted for other Cuban rhythms; some were completely original, others were adaptations of existing works. His most famous work was Tres lindas cubanas, which was an arrangement of a much older work. Other famous danzones were Siglo XX, La danza do los milliones, El servicio obligartorio, Cinta azul, El mago de las teclas, Jíbacoa, and La flauta magica (in collaboration with Alfredo Brito). Arrangements of Guarina and Perla marina (Sindo Garay), Mares y arenas (Rosendo Ruiz), Mercedes (Manuel Corona), Aquella boca (Eusebio Delfín), La cleptomanía (Manuel Luna) show his prowess as an arranger.

References

1.^ Giro, Radamés 2007. Diccionario encyclopédico de la música en Cuba. vol 4, La Havana. p84

2.^ Carpentier, Alejo 2001 [1945]. Music in Cuba. Minniapolis MN, p161.

3.^ Orovio, Helio 1981. Diccionario de la música cubana. La Habana. p283

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Romeu