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Ignacio Piñeiro

Ignacio Piñeiro Martínez (May 21, 1888 – March 12, 1969) was a Cuban musician, bandleader and composer whose career started in rumba and flowered in the rise of the son. He was one of the most important composers of son music; in total he wrote about 327 numbers, mostly sones.

Piñeiro was a brilliant rumbero who worked with musical groups from 1903 onwards. In 1906, was a member of the Timbre de Oro coro de clave y guaguancó (a vocal group precursor of contemporary guaguancó), and later directed Los Roncos, another famous coro de guaguancó. He was taught the double bass by María Teresa Vera, and in 1926 he was a member of her band, Sexteto Occidente, which recorded in New York City. In 1927 he founded the Sexteto Nacional de Ignacio Piñeiro, later simply known as Sexteto Nacional, in which he was the director and songwriter. With the addition of a trumpet the band became the Septeto Nacional.

For financial reasons, Piñeiro quit the group in 1935; it was then led by trumpet player Lázaro Herrera until the group disbanded in 1937. Piñeiro became for some years the leader and principal songwriter of Los Roncos. The Septeto Nacional was recreated several times from 1954 onwards, initially under Piñeiro's direction, and it continues to perform.

Piñeiro's composition "Échale salsita" (written on a train to Chicago in 1930, and the first song use of the world "salsa" in son) influenced George Gershwin's Cuban Overture. The two met when Gershwin visited Cuba in February 1932. Many of Piñeiro's songs have been performed by other artists like Ray Barretto ("Don Lengua") and René Álvarez ("A la lae la la"). In 1999, Piñeiro was posthumously inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.

Birth and Death Data: Born May 21, 1888 (Havana), Died March 12, 1969 (Havana)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1916 - 1956

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, string bass, director, lyricist, leader, songwriter

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

Recordings (Results 151-159 of 159 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Brunswick E32939 10-in. 6/3/1930 Fuego en la Maya Sexteto Machin Vocal and instrumental ensemble composer  
Brunswick HV32989 10-in. June 1930 No creas que está llorando Ignacio Piñeiro ; Septeto Nacional Vocal and instrumental septet composer, leader  
Brunswick HV32990 10-in. June 1930 Suavecito Ignacio Piñeiro ; Septeto Nacional Vocal and instrumental septet composer, leader  
Brunswick HV32991 10-in. June 1930 Quémala Ignacio Piñeiro ; Septeto Nacional Vocal and instrumental septet composer, leader  
Brunswick HV32992 10-in. June 1930 Incitadora región Ignacio Piñeiro ; Septeto Nacional Vocal and instrumental septet composer, leader  
Brunswick B12942 10-in. 1/19/1933 Buey viejo : Son Estrellas Habaneras Vocal and instrumental ensemble composer  
Gramophone 0PG114 10-in. 10/10/1932 La cachimba de San Juan Don Azpiazu’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet lyricist, composer  
Gramophone BJ2562 10-in. 10/3/1929 Arriba guajiro Septeto Nacional Cuba Instrumental ensemble composer  
Gramophone BJ2563 10-in. 10/3/1929 Asturias, patria querida Septeto Nacional Cuba Instrumental ensemble composer  
(Results 151-159 of 159 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Piñeiro, Ignacio," accessed November 1, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/109682.

Piñeiro, Ignacio. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 1, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/109682.

"Piñeiro, Ignacio." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 1 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/109682

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