Guillermo Barreto
| Guillermo Barreto | |
|---|---|
Guillermo Barreto with bassist Kike Hernández
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Guillermo Barreto Brown |
| Also known as | Barretico |
| Born |
August 11, 1929 La Habana, Cuba |
| Died | December 14, 1991 (aged 75) La Habana, Cuba |
| Genres | Big band, cha-cha-cha, descarga, Afro-Cuban jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, arranger |
| Instruments | Drums, timbales |
| Labels | Panart, EGREM |
| Associated acts | Cachao, Frank Emilio y Los Amigos, Peruchín, Tojo, Orquesta Cubana de Música Moderna |
Guillermo Barreto (August 11, 1929 – December 14, 1991) was a Cuban drummer and timbalero. He was a major figure in the Cuban music scene for more than fifty years and one of the first drummers in Cuba to play Afro-Cuban jazz.
Like many Cuban musicians, Guillermo Barreto had several nicknames. He was usually credited as "Barretico" during the 1950s and 1960s. He was also known as "El Loro" (The Parrot) and "Pata de loro" (Parrot leg) "due to his constant chatter and parrotlike walk", a nickname given to him by Rita Montaner according to Paquito D'Rivera.
Barreto was born in Havana on August 11, 1929. His father was Primo Barreto, a clarinetist who taught music to all of his children: Lita, Josefina, Estela, Alejandro "Coco", Roberto "Bobby", and Guillermo. As a young man, Guillermo became a skilled interpreter of Cuban pailas. In the 1940s, he was part of several big bands: the Cabaret Tropicana resident orchestra (directed by Obdulio Morales), the Sans Souci resident orchestra (directed by Rafael Ortega) and Armando Romeu González's orchestra. Soon he was playing his own arrangements and compositions. Between 1943 and 1946, he studied piano under the supervision of Rafael Ortega. This swing background would allow him to take his music into the realm of Afro-Cuban jazz as part of the Quinteto Instrumental de Música Moderna, which he founded in 1958 alongside Frank Emilio Flynn. He was so highly regarded that during a visit to Cuba by Stan Kenton's orchestra, Guillermo replaced an ill Buddy Rich for one night's performance.
Guillermo Barreto was one of the few Cuban drummers who understood the subtleties of playing jazz with an authentic American swing (...). In addition, he had a very special ear and, above all, an exquisite musical taste. His playing technique was low-key and understated.
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Wikipedia