Luis Martínez Griñán

He began his musical studies with his sister Ana Emilia Martínez Griñán, who was among the 40 students of the Music Branch "Nicolás Ruíz Espadero", taught by professor Concepción "Conchita" Bravo Rodríguez.

He performed his first presentations at family and friends' gatherings. In 1935 he played in Corsino Calzado's orchestra at the American Naval Base in Guantánamo. In 1937 he created the orchestra Los Champions de Lilí Martínez, establishing himself as the most sought-after musician and orchestra by all the dancers of Guaso.

In 1940 he acted as an exclusive performer for the CMKS radio station. Between 1943 and 1945 he worked in Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo respectively, in dance academies. Without leaving his orchestra, in 1943 he created a group called Rarezas del 43, a whole constellation of star musicians, with an orchestral and harmonic structure never seen or heard before in Cuba: four trumpets, a tres, a guitar, a double bass, two singers, a piano, plus adding the monte bongó that until that moment was only used by groups that played nengónic forms, those of kiribá, regina montunera and changüí.

In 1945 he moved to La Habana at the request of Arsenio Rodríguez, to replace another great musician, Rubén González. Arsenio had Antonio Arcaño listen to him and immediately christened him as the pearl of Oriente. Lilí's piano solos were commented on throughout the musical environment of the time, causing the ensemble's level to improve enormously.

Contact from childhood with other typological forms of son such as: nengón, kiribá, regina, changüí, among others, enriched him with knowledge that later made him the first Cuban musician to write piano notations based on Chopín to classically interpret son.

He was the creator of the Pianistic School of Son, a way of playing the piano that we now know as Cuban pianism, which consists of introducing brief but significant improvisations in the middle of a son, a custom inherited from jazz.

In 1950 after Arsenio's departure to New York, he would continue in the ranks of what was now Chappottin's orchestra and his stars. He obtained the title of Fingerprint Technician, specialty in Criminology, on November 13, 1952 in Illinois, United States. Lili was fluent in English and French.

In 1958 he left Chappottin's Orchestra and alternated his specialty functions with directing the group Los Diablos Rojos in the city of Holguín. In 1960 he released the album Quimbombó with his own orchestra Luis Griñan y su Orquesta. He dedicated the following decades to studying, teaching, recording, attending festivals such as those of son, in his native land, and continuing to compose.

Little by little Lili became another victim of the Syndrome of Silence. Sheltered in his Havana apartment alongside his faithful companion Coralina Camiño and his piano.

The Pearl of Oriente, as he was called, has more than 118 works registered with the National Association of Copyright, including: Cero guapos en Yateras, Alto Songo, Rumbahabana se Pasó, Marcolina, Nos Estamos Alejando and No me llores.

Upon finishing with Félix Chapotín's ensemble, Lilí performed with the group "Estrella de Chocolate". He performed in different groups and received calls from admirers such as musicians Eddy Palmieri and Papo Lucas, two excellent Puerto Rican pianists.

It should also be noted that two of the most exceptional Cuban pianists, Chucho Valdés and Frank Fernández, managed to perform with Martínez Griñán in a piano trio for TV. Lilí was a very communicative and affectionate person. According to testimony from his stepson, Dr. Baldrich.

Lilí's piano solos were discussed throughout the musical environment of that era. It can be said without reservation that the group was in the best musical moments of its short life, with the following members on its roster: Lázaro Prieto double bass, Lilí Martínez piano, Miguelito Cuní, René Scull and Carlos Ramírez singers and guitar, Antolín Suárez (Papa Kila) bongos, Félix Chappotín, Alfredo Almenteros (Chocolate) and Carmelo Álvarez, trumpets, Félix Alfonso, tumbadora, plus Arsenio Rodríguez and his tres. He also became known for his magnificent arrangements.

This group could be considered an "all-stars." Martínez Griñan began making musical arrangements and creating works, without respite or rest, and thus works began to appear such as:
No me llores más, son montuno
Mami me gustó, son montuno
Llévatelo todo, son montuno
Vacuno, son montuno
Chicharronero, son montuno
Mi convicción, bolero
Hiter la ver, merengue
Viejo socarrón, son montuno
Alto Songo, son montuno
Que se fuñan, son montuno
A ti na má, guaracha
Sazonando, son montuno
Nos estamos alejando, bolero
Eso si se llama querer, bolero
Semilla de caña brava, son montuno
Pueblo nuevo se pasó, son montuno
Me acuerdo más de ti, bolero
Aunque mami no quiera, son montuno
Como me gustas, son montuno
Para bailar este son, son montuno
La Protesta de Baraguá, son
Juventud de San Leopoldo, son montuno
Para ti Lucrecia querida, bolero
Cariño bueno, bolero
Hágase su voluntad, bolero
Alto Songo se quema La Maya, son montuno
Alborada en el mar (string quartet, piano with strings)
Titilación, tropical motif
Jardín tropical, bolero
Plantaciones, 1-2-3 free motifs
Concierto Universitario, musical motif
Río Guaso, son montuno
Aprovéchense pollos, son montuno
Pa´ bachatear, son montuno
Por no saber trabajar, son montuno
Cuídese macomé, merengue