Sexteto Habanero

Sexteto Habanero
First known photo of the Sexteto Habanero, 1920. From left to right, back: Guillermo Castillo, Carlos Godínez and Gerardo Martínez; front: Antonio Bacallao, Óscar Sotolongo and Felipe Neri Cabrera.
Background information
Origin	Havana, Cuba
Genres	Son cubano
Years active	1920 (1920)–present
Labels	Victor, Corazón, Lusafrica, Colibrí
Associated acts	Cuarteto Oriental Sexteto Típico Oriental Sexteto Habanero Godínez Conjunto Típico Habanero
Members	Felipe Ferrer Juan A. Jústiz José Antonio Pérez Emilio Moret Ernesto Laza Ibrahim Aties Digno Marcelino Pérez Gilberto Azcuy Jaime Gracián
Past members	Guillermo Castillo Carlos Godínez Gerardo Martínez Antonio Bacallao Óscar Sotolongo Felipe Neri Cabrera Abelardo Barroso Rafael Hernández "El Picher" Agustín Gutiérrez José Manuel Carriera "El Chino" Incharte Enrique Hernández Félix Chappottín Andrés Sotolongo José Interián Manolo Furé Germán Pedro Ibáñez Bárbaro Teuntor García Faustino Sánchez Illa Ricardo Ferro Vicente Servando Arango "El Chino"

The Sexteto Habanero was a Cuban son sextet founded in 1920 in Havana. It played an important part in the early history of the genre, contributing to its popularization all around Cuba. In 1927, the band incorporated a cornet player becoming the Septeto Habanero. Although most original members left in the 1930s, the band has continued to perform and record with different line-ups. Their last album was released in 2010 for their 90th anniversary.

In 1916, tres player and director Ricardo Martínez from Santiago de Cuba founded the Cuarteto Oriental together with Guillermo Castillo (botija), Gerardo Martínez (lead vocals and claves) and Felipe Neri Cabrera (maracas). In 1917, they left Oriente to record four tracks for Columbia Records in Havana. The songs are listed in a Columbia catalog for 1921, but are probably lost. However, the same group expanded to a sextet in 1918, with Castillo now on guitar, Antonio Bacallao on botija and Óscar Sotolongo on bongos. They renamed themselves Sexteto Típico Oriental. Meanwhile, members of the Victor record label decided to make son recordings at the Hotel Inglaterra in Havana, hiring musician Carlos Godínez to organize a band. At least one of these records has survived, with two songs ("Mujer bandolera" and "Amalia Batista") credited to Sexteto Habanero Godínez. These are the oldest known recordings in the sexteto format. According to Díaz Ayala, the band in these recordings featured Carlos Godínez (tres and director), María Teresa Vera (lead vocals and claves), Manuel Corona (guitar and second vocals), "Sinsonte" (third vocals and maracas), Alfredo Boloña (bongos) and a sixth musician, possibly Rafael Zequeira. In 1919, the discrepancies within the Sexteto Típico Oriental led to the departure of Ricardo Martínez, who was then replaced by Godínez. In 1920, the band renamed itself Sexteto Habanero.