Félix Chapotín Lage

Trumpet player and orchestra conductor, specialized in popular music such as Cuban son and guaracha.

Born in the Havana neighborhood of Cayo Hueso where he grew up alongside ten siblings and one adopted brother: Chano Pozo.

He began in 1918 as a musician in the children's band of Guanajay, where he played the snare drum, tuba, bombardon, cornet, and trumpet.

In 1927 he joins the Sexteto/Septeto Habanero and later the Munamar group. Subsequently he becomes part of the Arsenio Rodríguez Conjunto, a group that in 1949 comes under his direction, after 'the marvelous blind man' Arsenio moved to New York.

In 1950 he completes the Conjunto Todos Estrellas with Luís Martínez Griñan "Lilí", on piano; Pepín Vaillant, Aquilino Valdés and Cecilio Serviz, on trumpets, Sabino Peñalver on bass, Félix Alfonso "Chocolate", on tumbadora; Antolín Suárez "Papa-kila", on bongó; Ramón Cisneros "Liviano" on tres.

His journey through the Cuban music scene further enriched son. Some of his compositions are: "El que no tiene no vale", "Nicolás corrió", "Oye como dice", "Mentiras criollas", "Nunca intentes volver", "La chica tiene imán", "Mariquita y Chicharrones" and "Yo sí como candela".

Compositions and Recordings

He composed popular sons and recorded many pieces of this genre with the "Septeto Habanero" among them are:

Recorded in Havana, 1928.

"Tín cun tan, by Rosendo Ruiz (Father)
El bongó del habanero, by Gerardo Martínez
Alza los pies congo, by Carlos Godínez
Recuerdo imperecedero, by Gerardo Martínez
Amparo, by Guillermo Castillo
Estela, by Felipe Neri Cabrera
¿Dónde estas corazón? by J. Martínez Serrano
Dora, by Gerardo Martínez
Oye Teresa mi amor
Guillermo Castillo
Por un beso de tu boca
Ernesto Lecuona Casado
Olvido by Miguel Matamoros
Mamá Inés by Eliseo Grenet Sánchez
Criolla carabalí, by Felipe Neri Cabrera Urquiza
No juegues con los santos, by Ignacio Piñeiro Martínez
Alma guajira, guajira son by Ignacio Piñeiro Martínez
Quiero que tu me des un besito, by Narciso Sucarichi
Tribilín cantores, by Carlos Godínez Facenda
Mi guitarra, by Felipe Neri Cabrera.
Romerillo (yerbero bueno), by Carlos Godínez
La campana, by Fernando Collazo
Coralia, by Gerardo Martínez
Mujer mariposa, by Aniceto Díaz
No me maltrates nena, by Gerardo Martínez
The pieces titled Gloria a mis claves, by Gerardo Martínez
Bum bum pa´mi china, by Agustín Gutiérrez
Las maracas de Neri, by Felipe Neri Cabrera
Debajo de la mata, by Carlos Godínez
De mi cubita es el mango, by Rosendo Ruiz (father)
Preludio de Godínez, by Carlos Godínez
De la boca al corazón, by Guillermo Castillo
La diosa, by Carlos Godínez
Recorded in 1930.

Qué hay qué hay, by Felipe Neri Cabrera
Espabílate, by Eliseo Grenet
Guantánamo, by Felipe Neri Cabrera
No hay quien pase, by Carlos Godínez
Junto al río, by Gerardo Martínez
Lamento esclavo, by Eliseo Grenet
Déjate de bobería, by Felipe Neri Cabrera
Vi una vez, by Felipe Neri Cabrera
Las panas mías chiquitas, by Guillermo Castillo
Ahora sí, by Miguelito García and Agustín Gutiérrez
On February 28, 1931 he records:

Criollo jaragán, by Graciano Gómez El tomatero, by Graciano Gómez Sacudiendo mis maracas, by Felipe Neri Cabrera Mi tres, mis maracas y mi bongó, by Guillermo Castillo La malla de un traicionero, by Guillermo Castillo No trago, by Felipe Neri Cabrera Chelín, by Gerardo Martínez.

While working with the ensemble "Jóvenes del Cayo" in the late 1940s, at the request of Arsenio Rodríguez he joins his Conjunto in the late 1940s. In 1951 the direction of it falls under his baton when the latter moves to the United States of America. He performed multiple presentations on national stages as well as at popular celebrations, carnivals and on Cuban radio and television programs. He is considered one of the best son trumpet players in Cuba.