Lorenzo Hierrezuelo La O

Composer, guitarist and singer. Heir to a family troubadour tradition (his parents sang, accompanied by the tres, at the end of the past century), he left at thirteen years old to Santiago de Cuba with his guitar to sing in cafés and family gatherings.

He formed a trio with two troubadours named Julio and Edelmiro, traveling with them in 1930 to La Habana. When his companions returned to Oriente, he stayed in the capital, joining the Trío Lírico Cubano, and successively the Hatuey quartet and Justa García's group, always in his capacity as second voice and accompanying guitar.

Since 1937 he formed with María Teresa Vera one of the most popular duos among us, a partnership that lasted until 1962, when María Teresa had to retire due to illness.

He descends from indigenous Cubans (his grandmother was Siboney). He composed sones and guarachas. He formed with Francisco Repilado (Compay Segundo) the duo Los Compadres, which would later continue with his brother Reinaldo and which has represented Cuba in different countries.

He was born in El Caney, Oriente. With an indigenous Siboney grandmother, his father played the tres and sang sones with his mother at the end of the 19th century; as a child he made a tres from yagua and played with it.

In 1942 he joined another duo with the santiaguero Francisco Repilado, parallel to the one with María Teresa, in which Lorenzo, as primo voice, came to be called Compay Primo while Repilado, second voice and also guitar, Compay Segundo.

In 1949, while performing with María Teresa Vera at a party, she became indisposed, so Lorenzo, to finish the job, returned with Francisco Repilado, with whom he had worked in other groups, including the Hatuey Quartet, which was initially formed, in addition, by Evelio Machín, Francisco Repilado and Marcelino Guerra (Rapindey); Armando Dulfo also was part of the quartet.

Los Compadres performed on different Cuban and foreign stages and recorded albums with works by both, though years later, due to disagreements, Repilado left the duo and Lorenzo's brother Reinaldo Hierrezuelo joined, and these new Compadres traveled the world and left very memorable recordings.

Among the works of the troubadour, who can be considered one of the pillars of Cuban son, are several co-authored with Repilado, such as La calabaza, as well as others of his own, among which stand out Con la espuela, Baja y tapa la olla, Camina y ven pa´la loma and Sarandonga.