Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros
| Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros | |
|---|---|
 Armenteros performing at Star 64 in New York City | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Alfredo Armenteros |
| Born |
4 April 1928 Santa Clara, Las Villas, Cuba |
| Died |
6 January 2016 (aged 87) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Son cubano, descarga, big band, Latin jazz, salsa |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Trumpet |
| Labels | Alegre, Fania, Salsoul, Epic |
Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros (4 April 1928 – 6 January 2016) was a Cuban trumpeter. He played with artists such as Arsenio Rodríguez, Generoso Jiménez, Chico O'Farrill, Orchestra Harlow, Eddie Palmieri and Cachao. Due to his characteristic approach to Afro-Cuban trumpet playing as well as his extensive recording career, several monographs have been written on his music.[1][2]
Life and career
Armenteros was born on April 4, 1928, in Santa Clara, Las Villas Province, Cuba. He first began playing in a band led by the sonero/composer René Álvarez called Conjunto Los Astros and soon after with Arsenio Rodríguez. The nickname "Chocolate" was bestowed on him owing to a case of mistaken identity, when someone took him for Kid Chocolate, the champion boxer. After the Cuban Revolution, Armenteros moved to New York, where he lived until his death.
Armenteros went on to play with José Fajardo, Beny Moré, Tito Puente, César Concepción, Machito, Wynton Marsalis, Eddie Palmieri, Marcelino Guerra, Charlie Palmieri, John Santos, Israel "Cachao" López, Noro Morales, Johnny Pacheco, and many others.[3] He was a member of La Sonora Matancera from 1977 to 1980. He died of prostate cancer on 6 January 2016.[4]
Discography
With Cachao
- Cachao y su Descarga 77 (Salsoul, 1977)
- Dos (Salsoul, 1977)
- Master Sessions, Volume 1 (Epic, 1994)
- Master Sessions, Volume 2 (Epic, 1995)
With Grupo Folklórico y Experimental Nuevayorquino
- Concepts in Unity (Salsoul, 1975)
With Kip Hanrahan
- Tenderness (American Clavé, 1990)
With Orchestra Harlow
- Heavy Smokin' (Fania, 1965)
- Gettin' Off / Bajándote (Fania, 1966)
With Orlando Marin
- Qué chévere (Alegre, 1964)
With Eddie Palmieri
- Superimposition (Tico, 1970)
- Lucumí, Macumba, Voodoo (Epic, 1978)
With Tojo
- Ritmo (Kubaney, 1957)
With Mongo Santamaría and La Lupe
- Mongo Introduces La Lupe (Riverside, 1963)
With Cedar Walton
- Eastern Rebellion 4 (Timeless, 1984)
References
- ↑ Gerard, Charley (2001). Music from Cuba: Mongo Santamaria, Chocolate Armenteros, and Cuban Musicians in the United States. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.
- ↑ Davies, Rick (2003). Trompeta: Chappottín, Chocolate, and the Afro-Cuban Trumpet Style. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.
- ↑ Yanow, Scott (2000). Afro-Cuban Jazz. Miller Freeman Books. pp. 10–11. ISBN 978-0-87930-619-9.
- ↑ http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/latin/6835403/chocolate-armenteros-dies-trumpet
External links
Media related to Chocolate Armenteros at Wikimedia Commons
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