Miguel Matamoros

Guitarist and composer. Of self-taught training, but with natural talent, he ventured into almost all genres and rhythms of Cuban popular music. Throughout his artistic life he enjoyed popularity and fame. Many of his works are considered true classics that have been covered by numerous stars of Cuban and international music.

A native of Santiago de Cuba, Miguel Matamoros was born on May 8, 1894 in the popular neighborhood Los Hoyos, on San Germán street # 115 between Gallo and Matadero.

An intuitive musician, alongside the multiple occupations he held during his early youth as a driver, carpenter, altar boy at the Church of Cristo, slab maker, potter, among others, he eagerly taught himself the guitar in a self-taught manner.

At the age of 15, and maintaining his passion for this musical instrument, he began to play in the A Major key that Ramón Navarro taught him, a coworker at the sawmill. Once again, what he knew he learned on the street with friends giving serenades and entertaining popular festivities in the neighborhoods of his hometown.

Nevertheless, the first musical instrument that marked him as a performer in the activities in which he participated, as well as collecting tips to help his family, was the harmonica or philharmonic as many knew it, and later the Chinese cornet, the latter so well known in the carnivals of Oriente, which he played at the request of Rita Montaner in one of her performances years later at the Cabaret Montmatre, when she was completely dedicated to artistic life.

In 1910, at age 16, he composed his first musical piece: a bolero that he titled El Consejo. From then on he would create many other works until reaching around 198 which would include boleros, sons, pasodobles, habaneras and polkas, among others. It is said that the only genre he did not venture into was rumba, in its guaguancó modality.

Singing and strumming the guitar, he increasingly entered the artistic world, penetrating the world of trovador music. He learned from the great masters of traditional Cuban trovador music among them José Pepe Sánchez, Sindo Garay, Alberto Villalón, among others.

He made his first public presentation in 1912 at the Teatro Heredia in Santiago de Cuba and some of his songs were known in the city for the reception they had at popular festivities.

The socioeconomic and political situation that existed in Cuba under the government of Alfredo Zayas caused Miguel Matamoros to move to the capital in 1922, in search of economic improvements. Here he participated in gatherings, serenades, presentations in theaters, etc.

Professional Career
He received guitar lessons from Ramón Navarro Pérez. In 1909 he formed a duo with Trino Martinelli; furthermore, he worked with Salvador Adams.

In 1924 he founded the Trío Oriental, made up of Miguel Matamoros, director, guitar and first voice; Alfonso del Río, accompanying guitar, and Miguel Bisbé, second voice and claves; that same year they traveled to La Habana, except Alfonso del Río, who was replaced by Rafael Cueto and performed in the Campoamor theaters and Teatro Actualidades.

On May 8, 1925 he founded the Trío Matamoros, with Rafael Cueto, guitar, and Siro Rodríguez, maracas and second voice.

Miguel Matamoros possessed great qualities as a singer, he could produce a high A with ease; as a first guitarist, he made the introductions, as well as interludes, with grace and rich Cuban flavor; furthermore his very distinctive, suggestive and colorful strumming stands out, which Cueto completed with an original tumbao that he made in the lower registers of his guitar, and the rhythm of Siro's maracas. As a composer, Matamoros is not characterized by making great modulations or extratonal harmonic turns. His melodies are simple. In them one always observes the simplification of the line that, in addition to being beautiful, carries implicit a fundamental balance. This way of composing made his musical personality more relevant, accentuating the elements proper to his style.

In 1928 he made his first trip to the United States with the Trío; in 1929 they went to Mexico; in 1930 they went to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and in 1933 they carried out a tour through Venezuela, Panama, Curaçao, Puerto Rico and Colombia.

In 1926 he founded the Sexteto Matamoros, made up of Miguel Matamoros, director, guitar and first voice; Francisco Portela (Paquito), bass; Manuel Poveda, bongó; Manuel Borgellá (Mozo), tres; José Mecía (Pepe), trumpet; Siro Rodríguez, second voice and maracas, and Rafael Cueto guitar.

In 1938 he was a member of a jury made up, furthermore, by Gonzalo Roig, Rita Montaner and Eliseo Grenet, which awarded Celia Cruz, in a contest to choose the conga queen, organized by Radio Lavín - Mil Diez.

In 1943 they worked at the radio stations CMQ and Mil Diez, at the latter Benny Moré joined him. In 1945 he founded the Conjunto Matamoros, made up of Miguel Matamoros, director, guitar and first voice; Rafael Cueto, guitar; Siro Rodríguez, second voice and maracas; Benny Moré, singer; Ramón Dorca, piano; José Mecía and José Quintero, trumpet; Cristóbal Mendive, bass, and Agustín Gutiérrez, bongó. That same year they traveled to Mexico, where they performed in cabarets, theaters and at the XEQ radio station.

From 1948 to 1952 they worked with Matamoros in the septet and conjunto Baconao and in the Cuarteto Maisí: Roberto Díaz and Carlos Embale, singers; Felipe Torriente, bass; Francisco Repilado (Compay Segundo), clarinet; Pedro Mena, bongó and Armando Beltrán, piano.

With his Trío he toured, in addition to Mexico and the United States, through Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Colombia. In 1960 he made his last trip to the United States, upon his return he retired from artistic life, and the Trío disbanded.

Death

He died on April 15, 1971 in Santiago de Cuba.

Tributes

In 2011 during the development of the Cuban International Cubadisco 2011 Fair, a statue by artist José Rolando Montero was unveiled, made in bronze that represents him life-size at the corner of Callejón del Carmen and San Bartolomé, in his hometown of Santiago de Cuba[1].

Works

Afro-son
Bing-bong-bang, Tambó tambores

Blue-son
Conciencia

Bolero

What's it to you?
Desolation
The Advice
Elixir of Life
Oath
The Miraculous Drug
Light that Does Not Shine,
Mata and Beby
Oblivion
Promise or Offering,
Mystical Complaint
Longings


Delirium of Love
Sweet Mouth
Sweet Enchantment
I Don't Doubt Your Love
To My Friends
How Much I Love You
Delights of Love
Pure Love
Return of Love
You Lie
Under the Willows


Mistrust
The Cocainemanic
Black Shadows
How One Loves
Follow Me
Silver Wings
Tell Me
I Dreamed of You and Found You
Your Letter and Mine
Come
Listen to Me
May the Train Continue


Bolero-son

By the Shore of the Guaso
The Trio and the Cyclone
Black Tears
Bewitching Eyes
Hidden Sorrows
Maruja
Prayer of Love
Yes, Sir, of Course
My Flirt
More Than Love
Your Premonition


Love and Doubt
Learn
How My Love Is
Unfortunate
The Queen of My Bohio
Because I'm a Beggar
Unhappy Dream
I Call You
You Persist
Heart
A Scolding of Love


I Understand
Me Too
My Mother and the War
Country Rumba
Sad, Very Sad
Realities
What Love Is
My Only Mouth
But Like Yours Not


Caprice





Warnings
False Woman


Why Did They Pass?


Visions.


Conga
Happy Conga
Quirimbamba
Working in the Sugar Mill
It's My Good Conga
Conga Blood


Let's Go to the Conga
The Conga of the Good Chinese
Listen to My Conga
Caramba
Juan the Waffle Seller


Larará
My Little Black Conga
Don't Confuse
My President


Criolla

Bertica
The Triumphant Night
The Useless Test
My Rose


Danzón
The Chinese Cornet.

Danzonete
Demonstration.

Guaracha
The Mulata Anita, 1937
My Opinion
Canuto is Good
They Tell Me That...
Television


Practical Advice
I'm a Maraca Player


Guaracha-son
Tenement Comments


Postcards of My Cuba
Dance My Son


Habanera
Spring Butterfly.

Pasodoble
Juan Simón
Bullfighter.


Punto
The Cart and the Cane

Rumba
Today the Rumba
It's Going to Die


Samba
Nothing More

Son
Mama, Son from the Hill
Tearful Bomb
Singing You Go Far
He Who Plants His Corn
The Vote and the Woman
Hours of Passion
Kill, God Forgives
My Clothes
Poor Bohemia
Give Me the Ticket
Santiaguera
If You Catch the Train
Tito Broke My Machine
You'll See
The Paralyzed Man
Bath Leaves
Antonio's Woman
Lucifer
Oh, Deceptive!
Grandma
Barcachán
My Woman Misbehaves
Things of the Past


The Bee Stung You
Divorce in Spain
Nudism in Cuba
The Gravediggers
The Maraca of Cuba
From Fishing
Just Bone
False Love
My Little Doll, Who Threw the Bomb?
The Code of Social Defense
Havana-Santiago
The Ma'Teodora
Poor Chinese Man
Happy Repetition
Don't Go
My Peasant
Son and Not Son
Five Reals
Arajimba
When You Go
Discreet Desire
Pancha's Husband
Smellsmell


Commissioned Woman
The Ruin of My Bohio
Crazy Ambition
Malanga
My Plan
Listen to My Clave
Listen Now
Poor Chauffeur
Seducer
You Know
Shrimp and Mamoncillos
Listen to the Cha-Cha
Play Ball
I Want to Laugh
Dance My Crier
and My Coffee Grower
Dry Coconut
Among Gypsies
Rowing
Drummer
I Will Dance Your Son
I Want You Not to Deceive Me
Listen, Morena


Tango
The Little Orphan

Vals-canción
Nightmare