Ramón Rives Amador

Ramón "Mongo" Rives was born on the farm La Tumbita, he was the grandson of Bruna Castillo, to whom the creation of Sucu-sucu is attributed around the nineteen twenties of the past century.

It is said that Bruna, an authentic piner, improvised the new genre by listening to the son that was played in Eastern Cuba. Son of Margarita Amador and Mariano Rives who they called "El Boris". Raised in a musical environment, by age 10 Mongo already knew the instruments used to play Sucu-sucu, and made his debut with a quintet on the farm where he was born.

Of course, Mongo, with his very special talent for music, began from a very young age to delve into the paths of that rhythm and formed his quintet which debuted on December 25, 1945. There began a love affair with music that would never end.

Mongo Rives, simply tireless, loved the land with his hands during the week to obtain its fruits and at the end of it, he would set out towards the towns, wherever he could reach, to enliven their parties and spread the rhythm of Sucu Sucu.

A farmer who on weekends would go through the piner communities to play Sucu-sucu, to liven up the parties, he remained for 46 years as an amateur artist. It is not until 1992 that this self-taught musician decides to dedicate himself entirely to the dissemination of that rhythm, which has even already been recorded and distributed internationally.

In Mongo's modest home there is a school, where he teaches the youngest piners the secrets of that authentic genre where different melodies are sung.

And thus it was heard from then on in the echo of the fields the instruments, many of them made by himself, in the guateques that were used to celebrate a birthday or the successful end of a harvest.

Forty-six years as an amateur sharing his work in the National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP), already constituted quite a legend.

In 2002 the production company BIS Music had the honor of recording his first studio album, thus capturing for history the sound of Sucu Sucu in its most legitimate expression, today with Mongo's creole laud, accordion, marímbula, machete, bongó, guitar and tres, in addition to minor percussion (maraca, claves, etc.) common to the different expressions of the Son Complex, where this rhythm is framed in a very special way.

Among the most well-known numbers of his repertoire that have made Cubans and foreigners dance and that are included in this album are Yo quiero Bailar con Maria Elena, Dame el rabito del lechón, Linda Pinerita, Catalina, mi vecina, Se quedó sin ropa el Chivo and Santa Fe, pueblo querido.

In 1992 the album ¡Esto es Sucu Sucu! by "Mongo" Rives and his "Tumbita Criolla" comes out. The album is composed of the following tracks:

Mongo Rives

Mongo Rives - Yo Quiero Bailar Con María Elena
Mongo Rives - Candela Son Tus Ojos
Mongo Rives - La Campanada
Mongo Rives - Candela Es Mi Sucu Sucu
Mongo Rives - Sucu Sucu Para Tí
Mongo Rives - Qué Bella
Mongo Rives - Los Majases No Tienen Cuevas
Mongo Rives - Chinito Qué Vendes Tú
Mongo Rives - El Melon
Mongo Rives - Dame El Rabito Del Lechón
Mongo Rives - Qué Rico Baila Clarita