Frank Emilio Flynn
| Frank Emilio Flynn | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Francisco Emilio Flynn Rodríguez |
| Born |
April 13, 1921 Havana, Cuba |
| Died | August 23, 2001 (aged 80) Havana, Cuba |
| Genres | Afro-Cuban jazz, descarga, filin, contradanza, danzón |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, bandleader, composer |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Years active | 1934–2001 |
| Labels | Duarte, Sonotone, Panart, Areito, Siboney, Milan, RCA, Blue Note |
| Associated acts | Loquibambia, Los Modernistas, Quinteto Instrumental de Música Moderna, Los Amigos |
Francisco Emilio Flynn Rodríguez (April 13, 1921 – August 23, 2001), better known as Frank Emilio Flynn, was a renowned Cuban pianist. Despite being blind, he was a skilled and versatile pianist who mastered many forms of Cuban music, from danzas and danzones to filin, descarga and Afro-Cuban jazz. He was the founder and director of several ensembles, including Loquibambia (1946) and Los Modernistas (1951), both co-founded with José Antonio Méndez, as well as the Quinteto Instrumental de Música Moderna (1958), which later became Los Amigos.
Francisco Emilio Flynn Rodríguez was born in Havana on April 13, 1921 to a Cuban mother and an American father. His eyes were damaged during birth by the doctor's forceps. As a result, he was unable to distinguish shapes as a child, and by his late teens he was totally blind. From a young age he was known as Frank Emilio instead of Francisco Emilio due to his father. His mother died when he was 5 years old and his father returned to the US, so Flynn was raised by his aunt and uncle. In 1934, when he was only 13 years old, Flynn won an amateur music contest and shortly after began to play danzones by Antonio María Romeu. In 1938, Flynn interrupted his career to complete his studies at a school run by Cuba's National Association for the Blind.
In the 1940s, Flynn became part of the filin music scene which comprised jazz-influenced bolero composers. He accompanied singer Miguel de Gonzalo. In 1946 he founded the Loquibambia ensemble together with guitarist and composer José Antonio Méndez, and they started to work for the Mil Diez radio station. In 1949 they accompanied the famous Conjunto Casino in the recording of their song "Átomo".
In 1951, Flynn founded Los Modernistas, and ensemble featuring José Antonio Méndez on guitar, Justi Barreto on percussion and Francisco Fellové on vocals amongst others. The band played at Radio Cadena Habana and toured the island before disbanding. Flynn then joined a son ensemble, Alejandro y sus Muchachos, and in 1955 he recorded four songs with Arcaño y sus Maravillas.
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