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Alberto Villalón Morales

Alberto Villalón Morales (Santiago de Cuba, 7 June 1882 – Havana, 16 July 1955) was one of the greatest musicians in the Cuban trova style.

He was the only one of the 'four greats' of the trova to come from a well-to-do family. Villalón and his sister América studied guitar with Pepe Sánchez, the father of the trova movement. Later, he studied classical guitar to achieve a really excellent technique. He composed his first canciones and boleros at fourteen, and moved to Havana in 1900. In 1907 he recorded on Edison cylinders. In 1908 he formed the Cuarteto Villalón with Adolfo Colombo (tenor), Claudio García (baritone), Emilio Reinoso (mandolin), and Alberto Villalón (guitar). Colombo and García were regular members of the Teatro Alhambra company; Colombo was the most recorded singer of the age.

A difference between Villalón and the other early trovadors was in his guitar technique. With his training he preferred picking (punteado) instead of strumming (rasgueado), which had been the main technique previously. This gave him a wider range of harmonic possibilities and a characteristic style. He had a second career in 1927 when he became a founding member of the Septeto Nacional de Ignacio Piñeiro. Alberto brought into the septet Juan de la Cruz and Benvenido León, who had been playing with him in a trio. The addition of the first really great sonero, Abelardo Barroso (1905 – 1972), made the Nacional the best group in Cuba for its time.

Villalón's career, then, connected the world of trova with the world of son which became central to Cuba's popular music for the rest of the century.

Birth and Death Data: Born June 7, 1882 (Santiago de Cuba), Died July 16, 1955

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1906 - 1940

Roles Represented in DAHR: guitar, composer, lyricist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 201-225 of 331 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 37888 10-in. approximately 1909 or 1910 Como el rocío : Bolero y recitado Adolfo Colombo ; Regino López Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia 37889 10-in. approximately 1909 or 1910 Desilusión : Bolero y recitado Adolfo Colombo ; Regino López Male vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia 82745 10-in. 1919 Te quiero siempre : Canción Trío Villalón Male vocal solo, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia 82746 10-in. 1919 Cruel amor : Canción Trío Villalón Male vocal solo, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia 82747 10-in. 1919 Ensueños : Canción Trío Villalón Male vocal solo, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia 82748 10-in. 1919 No me olvides : Canción Trío Villalón Male vocal solo, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia 93119 10-in. approximately October 1922 Goza, Margarita, goza : Son Floro y Miguel Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia 93120 10-in. approximately October 1922 Mamá las lágrimas se me salen : Son Floro y Miguel Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia 93121 10-in. approximately October 1922 La reina de mi amor, Lucrecia Floro y Miguel Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia 93122 10-in. approximately October 1922 Calientuco se fajó Floro y Miguel Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia 93127 10-in. approximately October 1922 Bella María : Capricho Alberto Villalón Morales ; Miguel Zaballa ; Floro Zorrilla Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia 93128 10-in. approximately October 1922 Celmira : Capricho Alberto Villalón Morales ; Miguel Zaballa ; Floro Zorrilla Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia 93132 10-in. approximately October 1922 Mi destino : Capricho Alberto Villalón Morales ; Miguel Zaballa ; Floro Zorrilla Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia 93134 10-in. approximately October 1922 La dictadura : Bambuco Alberto Villalón Morales ; Miguel Zaballa ; Floro Zorrilla Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia 105162 10-in. September 1924 Boda negra Trío Oriental Vocal and instrumental trio composer  
Columbia W93938 10-in. September 1925 Nadie se muere de amor : Capricho Cruz, Bienvenido y Villalon Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W93939 10-in. September 1925 Maldita timidez : Rumba son Cruz, Bienvenido y Villalon Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W93940 10-in. September 1925 Mi corazón lacerado : Capricho Cruz, Bienvenido y Villalon Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Columbia W93941 10-in. September 1925 Siguatona : Capricho son Cruz, Bienvenido y Villalon Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W93948 10-in. September 1925 Dónde está mi niña : Capricho son Cruz, Bienvenido y Villalon Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Columbia W93949 10-in. September 1925 Catalina : Son Cruz, Bienvenido y Villalon Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W93950 10-in. September 1925 Iyamba bero Cruz, Bienvenido y Villalon Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia W93952 10-in. September 1925 Mi son triste Cruz y León Vocal and instrumental trio instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Columbia W93958 10-in. September 1925 María Cruz y León Vocal and instrumental trio instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Columbia W93959 10-in. September 1925 Linda criolla : Criolla Cruz, Bienvenido y Villalon Vocal duet, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
(Results 201-225 of 331 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Villalón Morales, Alberto," accessed April 29, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113130.

Villalón Morales, Alberto. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 29, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113130.

"Villalón Morales, Alberto." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 29 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113130

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