Orestes Macías

Orestes Macías was born in Bejucal, November 9, 1934. He studied music, specifically the requinto, and was nine or ten years old when he participated in the municipal band of Bejucal.

In 1943 he traveled with his family to Havana. The first thing he did when he arrived in Havana was to present himself in a singing competition promoted by Pumarejo, who at that time was the owner of CMQ; the competition was called "Buscando estrellas," and he finally won the prize, performing a Mexican number "El jinete".

Later, in 1950, he joined the Vas-Cané group, along with musicians who came from the Sonora Matancera. He stayed there for a while, until he joined the orchestra of Arcaño y sus maravillas, in this group he had the fortune of sharing with musicians of the caliber of Orestes "Cachao" López and Félix Reina. In the mid-fifties he was part of the Orquesta de los Hermanos Castro, and ended up alternating this work as a singer with the Conjunto Casino.

He was a singer for the Orquesta Hermanos, the Casino and Rumbavana ensembles, with which he recorded numerous boleros and sones in his very Cuban style.

Most of his history as a singer took place within Rumbavana, where he was from 1958 onwards; and when he recorded "Vanidad" with them, he jumped to glory. The sixties were wonderful, with great romanticism; and in the seventies he had the privilege of living with this group what he considered "the golden age" of popular music orchestras in Cuba. With Rumbavana the experiences were extraordinary, especially linked to the numerous tours they conducted throughout different countries.

He is a legend of Cuban bolero. After sixty-seven years of artistic career, his voice constitutes a heritage that transcends the borders of this island, bearing in mind that he has performed in more than twenty-five countries and some of his recordings are very well known internationally.

This singular artist who has championed more than four hundred musical numbers with his performance is part of popular memory for several reasons, among which stands out his participation in the Rumbavana ensemble, a group with which he performed for several decades, turning multiple songs into great hits.

Macías stated that among his favorite boleros are: "Ojos y labios" by Carlos Gómez, "Vanidad," by Alberto Molmagran, and "Tuve un amor," by Joaquín Mendive.