Barbarito Torres

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Bárbaro Alberto Torres Delgado, best known as Barbarito Torres (b. Matanzas, Cuba, 1956), is a Cuban musician player, best known for his work with the Afro Cuban All Stars and the Buena Vista Social Club.^[1] Torres plays the laud, a traditional Cuban instrument of the lute family that is most associated with the Guajiro genre.

[edit] Biography

Torres played in a series of military bands during the 1970s, before settling in Havana and becoming a permanent member of Orquesta Cubana de Cuerdas. He became musical director for Celina Gonzalez's Grupo Campoalegre and worked with some of Havana's most prominent musicians.

In the 1990s, Torres began working the Afro Cuban All Stars which led him to be included in the Buena Vista Social Club ensemble. Torres went on to play a prominent role playing on both records and performances for the group, featuring in the 1999 movie also titled Buena Vista Social Club. Barbarito has since released solo works including Havana Cafe, which featured a number of the players that had been featured in his previous ensembles, including Ibrahim Ferrer and Omara Portuondo.^[2]