Roberto Faz Monzón

He was born in the town of Regla. His parents were Pascual Faz and Angelita Monzón. He belonged to a very humble family of three siblings and Roberto had to struggle greatly to become a renowned popular music singer in Cuba and abroad.

At 13 years of age (1927) he was part of the Conjunto Champan Sport and later the Tropical and Ricardo Cabana where he played the maracas, the güiro, the timbal and the contrabass. It was during this time that he was guided by the tres and trumpet musicians Juan Suárez and the man who would become famous Félix Chapottin with whom he would learn the secrets of Cuban son.

In 1930 Roberto Faz was part of the Septeto Ultramar organized by his father and two years later (1932) he was already the vocalist of the Orquestas Copacabana, Continental and shortly after in the Grupo Habana. In 1935 at the famous Sans–Souci cabaret he performs with the famous Orquesta Hermanos Palau where Roberto Faz's style begins to stand out. From 1936 onwards he not only sings but is also an excellent percussion player such as the bongó, the congas and creole pailitas in the Orquestas Cosmopolita where he performed on the Radio Cadena Habana and CMQ programs with the Banda de los Hermanos Lebatard.

In 1941 he is singer and percussionist at the Hotel Nacional with the orchestra of master Osvaldo Estivill in the company of singer Tito Gómez and three years later he is the official singer of the famous conjunto Kubavana with which he performed at the Zombie Club cabaret and made his first commercial recordings such as the guaracha "No me importas tú", by Mario Recio, and the bolero "¿Por qué te vas tan pronto?", by Hugo Cruz, among others.

But his true consecration comes in 1944 when he is called by singer and director Roberto Espí to sing in his Conjunto Casino, where over time he became his most significant and popular vocalist. With this group Roberto Faz made his first tours abroad, to Puerto Rico, Venezuela (1945–1946) and shortly after to Tampa, Key West, Panama and Mexico, a country where he is well known for his recordings for RCA Victor and since 1948 for Panart of Cuba.

Since 1950 Roberto Faz and the Casino with his mythical trio of voices of Espí, Faz and Robot, and later by Rolito and Reyes achieve great triumphs throughout Latin America. Faz's powerful, clear and high-pitched voice, full of musicality, became one of the most famous in son, guaracha and especially in the bolero.

Many famous titles with the Casino are remembered such as "Realidad y fantasía", by Cesar Portillo de la Luz, "Quiéreme y verás", by J. A. Méndez and the guaracha "Que se corra la bola", by A. Ruíz.

In the early years of the 1950s he performs with the Casino in major programs of Cuban television.

In 1956 Roberto Faz founded his popular conjunto with some musicians from the Casino and singers Orlando Reyes and Loelangel Rodríguez making his debut in the halls of the Liceo de Regla, his hometown. And later they perform at the Hotel Sevilla Biltmore, at the Casino Deportivo, the Stadium Tropical and the well-known Alí Bar Club cabaret, together with Fernando Álvarez and performing a duet with the great Benny Moré, who baptized him as "The white sonero of Cuba".

In 1957 he makes his first long-playing record with his group for the Panart label of excellent quality in recording and musically. Faz's voice and his group have a resounding success especially with the bolero "Comprensión", by C. Doval and the sones "Como vivo en Luyanó", by R. Barrera and "Cositas que tiene mi Cuba" by P. Zalazar.

In 1966 Faz and his group reach the climate of popular acceptance recording within the style of son conjuntos the so-called dengue rhythm. Works such as "Dengue de la cana", by Montero and Castillo and by Faz himself, "Dengue en fa", with a sweeping rhythm.

The sonero Roberto Faz with his presence forged optimism and joy. He sustained all his musicality proven in his pitch, rhythm and vocal range, as well as his rich improvisation in guarachas and montuno sones.

Roberto Faz's excellent voice is recorded in nearly four hundred recordings, all nourished by the son of the 1930s, which constitute an example of Cuban popular music to this day.