# Lilí Martínez: What kind of piano do you play!

**Date:** 08/19/2020

"In Lilí Martínez, several difficult things to achieve in the same sensibility were fused: an uncommon taste in son-style phrasing, mastery of the essences of classical piano, jazzy diction and the flavor of his tumbaos," wrote musicologist and writer Helio Orovio.

While Venezuelan journalist Lil Rodríguez wrote: "Luis Martínez Griñán the greatest pianist of son montuno." Precisely before his death, The Pearl of the Orient as Arsenio Rodríguez called him, confessed to Lil: "I always wanted to be like Chopin: tender towards music, sweet towards the piano and romantic towards life."

Both opinions attest to how great he was (and still is) in Cuban music, the son pianist, composer and arranger Luis "Lilí" Martínez Griñán (Guantánamo 19-8-1915-Havana 17-9-90), of whom precisely today, the 105th anniversary of his birth is celebrated.

Author mostly of son montunos, among them the well-known No me llores más, Sazonando, Que se fuñan and Mami me gustó, of boleros, sones and even mérengues.

Lilí began his piano studies at the academy of his sister Ana Emilia Martínez and perfected them in a self-taught manner. In 1935 he played in the orchestra of Corsino Calzado at the American Naval Base in Guantánamo. In 1937 he created the orchestra Los Champions de Lilí Martínez, establishing himself as the musician and orchestra most sought after by all the dancers of the Guaso. He worked for the radio station CMKS and in dance academies in Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo.

In 1945, Rubén González Fontanills, a member of Arsenio Rodríguez's ensemble, was presented with a contract to travel to South America. This was how he had the opportunity to work with Arsenio, with full knowledge of what a hard son ensemble was. He adapted so well that he began to make musical arrangements for it, which caused the level of the ensemble to grow rapidly as well as its popularity.

Lilí's piano solos were commented on throughout the musical atmosphere of the time. It can be said without reservation that the ensemble was in the best musical moments of its short life, as its roster included: Lázaro Prieto, 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, an "all-stars," of which people still speak in Cuba and in the world.

In 1950 Arsenio Rodríguez left for the United States. Upon his return, he invited Lázaro Prieto and René Scull to return with him. When proposing the trip to Lilí Martínez, he preferred to stay with his colleagues, who decided to change the name of the ensemble and name it after Félix Chappotín. With this group he maintained a long period performing in a similar manner as with the Blind Marvelous One, and his presence was frequent in dances, radio, television and countless recordings.

Contact with the nengón, the kiribá, the regina, the changüí and other forms of Guantanamera music enriched him with knowledge that served him throughout his career. He was the creator of the Piano School of Son and a great innovator who transferred cells of American folklore to our dance music.

In 1958 he traveled with Félix Chappotín's ensemble to Curaçao and upon returning separated from the group, joining the orchestra "Estrellas de Chocolate."

His interpretive styles influenced musicians of the caliber of Chucho Valdés, Frank Fernández, Emiliano Salvador, Papo Lucas, Eddie Palmieri, Enrique Culebra Iriarte, among others.

With Chucho and Frank he appeared on Cuban TV. Today pianists of the caliber of Manolito Simonet, to cite just one of the son pianists of the current Cuban son music scene in popular dance music, follow in his footsteps.

Lilí was a very communicative and affectionate person. According to the testimony of his stepson, Dr. Baldrich, he turned out to be an extremely studious person who possessed a degree as a technician in Dactyloscopy and delved deeply into Criminalistics, spoke English perfectly, had knowledge of French and also enjoyed classical music and jazz to such an extent that his arrangements showed their influence.

His retirement took place in 1967. However, in 1977 he was a pianist with the group Los Ases del Ritmo and transmitted his son wisdom to many Holguín musicians. In the eighties, already ill, he appears with an accompanying orchestra at the Cabaret Las Vegas in Havana.

Luís Martínez Griñán received in his lifetime a colossal recognition from the government of his province, as well as from the Ministry of Culture. Although he died in Havana, he was buried in his homeland of Guantánamo.

In Guantánamo, every year, the Son Festival pays tribute to him. And they say that it is not strange that you can still hear him playing on the nights of this Guantanamera festival. That is why the words of Manuel de Jesús "Koko" Leyva, trumpeter and director of the Avilés orchestra, are justified when he expressed: "I have not heard a pianist in son like Lilí Martínez."