Search - Beny More :: Cuban Originals

Aside from being Buena Vista Social Club alumni, what else do Omara Portuondo and Eliades Ochoa have in common? They've both issued releases that include songs originally made famous by the great Beny Moré. After a successful Mexican tour with Conjunto Matamoros, the Cuban vocalist made his first big splash at the microphone of Pérez Prado's supercharged mambo machine (check out the overheated "Pachito E' Che 1950") before taking the reins of an orchestra of his own in 1954. Most Cuban singers are known for their deftness with the romantic bolero or the more aggressive mambo styles, but Moré excelled in both areas. On "Y Hot Como Ayer," recorded in 1955, he glides from a midregister croon to effortless trumpetlike glissandos, his big band pulsating behind him, while he plays a sonero to a T on 1957's "Que Bueno Baila Usted," one of many memorable songs he penned himself. This excellent introduction to Moré's career includes newly remastered songs originally released from 1949 to 1958. --Bob Tarte