Arsenio Rodríguez
Arsenio Rodríguez (born Ignacio Arsenio Travieso Scull; 31 August 1911 – 30 December 1970) was a Cuban musician, composer and bandleader. He played the tres, as well as the tumbadora, and he specialized in son, rumba and other Afro-Cuban music styles. In the 1940s and 1950s Rodríguez established the conjunto format and contributed to the development of the son montuno, the basic template of modern-day salsa. He claimed to be the true creator of the mambo and was an important as well as a prolific composer who wrote nearly two hundred songs. Despite being blind since the age of seven, Rodríguez quickly managed to become one of Cuba's foremost treseros. Nonetheless, his first hit, "Bruca maniguá" by Orquesta Casino de la Playa, came as a songwriter in 1937. For the following two years, Rodríguez worked as composer and guest guitarist for the Casino de la Playa, before forming his conjunto in 1940, one of the first of its kind. After recording over a hundred songs for RCA Victor over the course of twelve years, Rodríguez moved to New York in 1952, where he remained active, releasing several albums. In 1970, Rodríguez moved to Los Angeles, where he died of pneumonia shortly before the end of the year. |
Birth and Death Data: Born August 31, 1911 (Matanzas), Died December 31, 1970 (Los Angeles)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1934 - 1956
Roles Represented in DAHR: leader, trés, composer, songwriter, lyricist
Notes: Arsenio Rodríguez was born Ignacio Arsenio Travieso Scull.
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 141 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BS-95552 | 10-in. | 10/22/1935 | No he mentido Aida | Cuarteto Machín | Vocal and instrumental quartet | composer | |
Victor | BS-95556 | 10-in. | 10/22/1935 | Amargos sufrimientos | Cuarteto Machín | Vocal and instrumental quartet | composer | |
Victor | BS-95582 | 10-in. | 10/25/1935 | No vuelvas por aquí | Cuarteto Machín | Vocal and instrumental quartet | composer | |
Victor | BS-98021 | 10-in. | 11/1/1935 | Pobre mi Cuba | Septeto Machín | Vocal and instrumental septet | composer | |
Victor | BS-010933 | 10-in. | 6/17/1937 | Bruca manigua | Orquesta Casino de la Playa ; Miguelito Valdés | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist, composer | |
Victor | BS-010937 | 10-in. | 6/17/1937 | Ben acá tomá | Orquesta Casino de la Playa ; Miguelito Valdés | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-017383 | 10-in. | 12/9/1937 | Bruca maniguá | Alfredito Valdés ; Xavier Cugat Waldorf-Astoria Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer, lyricist | |
Victor | BS-021961 | 10-in. | between 4/1/1938 and 4/11/1938 | Yo soy macuá | Orquesta Casino de la Playa ; Miguelito Valdés | Dubbed recording : Jazz/dance band | composer | |
Victor | BS-021968 | 10-in. | between 4/1/1938 and 4/11/1938 | Funfuñando | Orquesta Casino de la Playa ; Miguelito Valdés | Dubbed recording : Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | B-027836 | 10-in. | 9/19/1938 | Yo son gangá | Orquesta Casino de la Playa ; Miguelito Valdés | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | B-027837 | 10-in. | 9/19/1938 | Se vá el caramelero | Orquesta Casino de la Playa ; Miguelito Valdés | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-035550 | 10-in. | before 4/3/1939 | Adiós Africa | Orquesta Casino de la Playa ; Miguelito Valdés | Re-recording : Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-037049 | 10-in. | 7/13/1939 | Mirar subyugante | Boricuas ; Augusto Coén | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | MBS-079445 | 10-in. | before 2/2/1945 | Yo saluda | Conjunto Casino ; Alfredito Valdés | Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | MBS-091076 | 10-in. | before 12/16/1948 | La vida es una sueño | Hermanos Martínez Gil ; Orquesta Miguel Angel Pazos | Male vocal trio, with instrumental ensemble | composer | |
Victor | MBS-092764 | 10-in. | before 5/1/1951 | Qué pasará | Beny Moré ; Orquesta Rafael de Paz | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | composer | |
Victor | CU-37[b] | 10-in. | before 2/27/1948 | Lo dicen todas | Conjunto Arsenio Rodríguez | Instrumental ensemble | leader, instrumentalist, trés, composer | |
Victor | CU-38[b] | 10-in. | before 2/27/1948 | La vida es una sueño | Conjunto Arsenio Rodríguez | Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo | leader, instrumentalist, trés, composer | |
Victor | CU-39[b] | 10-in. | before 4/8/1948 | El tabernero | Conjunto Arsenio Rodríguez | Instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, trés, leader | |
Victor | CU-40[b] | 10-in. | before 4/8/1948 | El cerro tiene la llave | Conjunto Arsenio Rodríguez | Instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, trés, leader | |
Victor | CU-41[b] | 10-in. | before 4/8/1948 | Te esperaré | Conjunto Arsenio Rodríguez | Instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, trés, leader | |
Victor | CU-42[b] | 10-in. | before 4/8/1948 | No vuelvo a moron | Conjunto Arsenio Rodríguez | Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, trés, leader | |
Victor | CU-85[b] | 10-in. | before 6/22/1948 | A Puerto Rico | Conjunto Arsenio Rodríguez | Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal trio | composer, instrumentalist, trés, leader | |
Victor | CU-86[b] | 10-in. | before 5/26/1948 | Esa china tiene coimbre | Conjunto Arsenio Rodríguez | Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo | composer, leader, instrumentalist, trés | |
Victor | CU-87[b] | 10-in. | before 6/22/1948 | No toque el guao | Conjunto Arsenio Rodríguez | Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo | composer, instrumentalist, trés, leader |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Rodríguez, Arsenio," accessed November 1, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/105970.
Rodríguez, Arsenio. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 1, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/105970.
"Rodríguez, Arsenio." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 1 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Arsenio Rodríguez
Discogs: Arsenio Rodríguez
Allmusic: Arsenio Rodríguez
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Rodríguez, Arsenio - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n88612445
Wikidata: Arsenio Rodríguez - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q704705
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/2670721
MusicBrainz: Arsenio Rodríguez - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/63b0ed42-f590-4c24-90d8-b8522f181b21
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