Eusebio Delfín
Source: DAHR
Born on 1 April 1893 in Palmira, Cuba, guitarist, poet and baritone singer, Eusebio Delfín Figueroa, was a trova and Cuban bolero musician. The trova is a song by a trovador, an itinerate musician like the French troubadour of the twelfth century. That wasn't real convenient for pianists who played where they could find one. Credited with creating the trova as it came to be known is Pepe Sanchez who further developed the trova into the Cuban bolero, being of distinct origin from the Spanish bolero, the two not to be confused. Boleros were basically slow-tempo sentimental songs.
Delfin was a Creole born into an aristocratic family in financial distress, he thus persuaded to study accounting, as he did violin, flute and guitar. His first public performance was in 1916 at the Terry Theatre in Cienfuegos. There was something of an irony as to Delfin's performances of the songs of the trovador (traveling musician) in that he was a bank director married into Bacardi wealth. His first recording is said by multiple sources to have been in 1921 with Rita Montaner performing 'Pensamiento'. That is possibly an erroneous date getting echoed, for I've discovered no sessionography or other documentation supporting either Delfin or Montaner recording that early. They may well have done so, only that I've not uncovered anything about it. DAHR traces Delfin to as early as 15 March of 1923, putting away three solo titles beginning with 'La Guinda'. DAHR then has Delfin with Montaner no earlier than the same date (15 March) for 'Amar, eso es todo' recorded in Havana toward Victor 73879. 'Pensamiento' is listed as the third matrix of five recorded the next day on the 16th. That is, Delfin's fourth recording was with Montaner per 'Amar, eso es todo' on the 15th, followed by several more duets the next day. Data source for titles below is DAHR.
'La Guinda' ('The Icing') Cuban capricho by Eusebio Delfin
Recorded 15 March 1923 in Havana Victor 73879 A
Composition by Eusebio Delfin
'Amar, eso es todo' ('Love, That's All') Cuban bolero by Eusebio Delfin & Rita Montaner
Recorded 15 March 1923 in Havana Victor 73879 B
Composition by Eusebio Delfin
'Y tú ¿Qué has hecho?' ('And You, What Have You Done?') Cuban bolero by Eusebio Delfin
Recorded 30 Oct 1925 in Camden NJ Victor 78580
Composition by Eusebio Delfin
'Aquella Boca' ('That Mouth') Cuban son by Eusebio Delfin
Recorded 23 Jan 1927 in Havana Victor 79342 A
Composition by Eusebio Delfin
'Abrazos de fuego' ('Hugs of Fire') Cuban bolero by Eusebio Delfin
Recorded 23 March 1927 in Havana Victor 80385 A
Composition by Eusebio Delfin
As both a musician and a poet, numerous of Delfin's recordings were his own compositions. Ivan Garcia [below] has Delfin writing his last, 'Never Again', in 1936, two decades before giving his final performance in 1956. Delfin didn't rise to the same stature as other early Cuban musicians such as Maria Vera, as music wasn't his profession so much as a study to be indulged by performing boleros at private social gatherings among Cuba's wealthy. As he didn't need the money, he donated a great portion of his recording profits to charity. Delfin died on 28 April 1965 in Havana.
Sources & References:
Ivan Garcia (Translating Cuba)
Samuel Nathan (Caribbean-Opedia / Lulu Author 2012)
VF History (notes)
The Bolero (Cuban):
Recordings:
Sessionography (DAHR 1923-30)
En El Tronco De Un Árbol... (compilation on Tumbao Cuban Classics TCD-088 1997)
The Trova:
Further Reading:
Cuban Music:
Cuban Son:
Classical Main Menu Modern Recording
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