Consejo Valiente Roberts

Outstanding Cuban percussionist and composer, whose artistic career developed fundamentally in Mexico.

He was born in Santiago de Cuba, Oriente, Cuba and died in Ciudad México. From a very early age he ventured into the world of music. His work was well-received by many directors of Mexican orchestras who hired him until he came to form his own, and his career included radio work, television, and film collaborations.

He made his artistic debut in 1913 in his native city. That same year he moved to Mexico where he was hired by a social center in the D.F.; here he belonged to the orchestra of Tiburcio Hernández (Babuco), and that of Juan de Dios Concha (in the 1940s he was its director);

In 1926 he joined the orchestra of Amador Pérez Torres (Dimas), considered the leading danzonera of the time.

In 1938 he formed his own orchestra and won the title of King of the Danzón; among those who belonged to it were Juan Luis Cabrera Mateo, piano; Matilde Rangel, trumpet; the brothers Diego (upon Acerina's death he took over the direction of the orchestra) and Panchito Pérez, and Hortensia Palacios (Tencha), piano. It was for many years the main attraction of the famous Salón México.

With his orchestra, he performed at the Salón Colonia, alongside the orchestras Prieto, Amado Pérez Torres (Dimas), Parisién and los Alegres Trovadores del Jazz; In the same venue, a tribute was held for him in which Castillo, Lupe López, Joaquín Martínez, Gamboa Ceballos, Mike Laure, Miguel Ángel Serralde and Mariano Mercerón participated; in this same Salón, he participated in a Festival of Danzoneras and Dance Exhibitions, in which the orchestras Alma de Sotavento, Danzonera Criolla, Miguel Ángel Serralde, Felipe Urbán, Danzonera México, by Raúl García and Pedro Ramírez and his Orchestra participated; in the Salón Tacubaya he worked alongside the orchestras Prieto, Amado Pérez Torres (Dimas), Parisién, Alegres Trovadores del Jazz and Raymond Jazzers;
in the Salón Riviera, he worked with the orchestras Felipe Urbán and his Danzonera and Pedro Ramírez and his Gran Orquesta, José Casquera, and Danzonera Alma de Sotavento, from Veracruz;
in the Club Escandón, he worked with those of Dámaso Pérez Prado and Emilio B. Rosado.

In 1948 he recorded his first album as director of his own orchestra; in 1949 he released La bruja and El arete de Mariles to record.

He participated in several programs of Mexican radio broadcasting, among them Rico Vacilón, and on television in La Hora Orfeón.

He took part in the filming and musicalization of the films Honrarás a tus padres and Simón Bolívar;
In the latter, filmed in 1938, he played the president of Haiti.

Acerina worked as a timpani player in the orchestra of Tiburcio Hernández (El Babuco).

Works
Among his artistic accomplishments stand out:
A mí,
Porros,
El arete de Mariles
La bruja.
Bibliography