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By Musicologist Cary Diez
 MATANZAS
IS SACRED LAND. The most beautiful aborigin leyends make of their
lands and rivers, lap of spirits that remained as mithology of first
Cuban natives. Along its fields, miles of Africans, who lived these
lands in condition of slaves, left their blood and sweat, its mounts
sheltered Cimarron race and its urban population transformed the
city in a prosper and cult place having parks, theaters, monuments,
bridges gaining the name of ''Athens of Cuba''.
In Matanzas, remarkables musicians of classic formation were born.
In its salons, Danzón was danced for the first time, at Simpson,
Pérez Prado, creator of Mambo, saw the life`s light and from
its countryside Celina González, our country music queen,
was born. Its Cabildos preserved unique expressions of African traditions
and since early XX century, its streets were flooded of songs, clave
chorus and far beyond Arsenio Rodríguez`s songs, the unique
and ever-lasting sound of Guaguancó Matancero.
The first signals of the group were visible at a bar of La Marina
in 1952. It could not be another place, because the majority of
its founders were born at the edges of Yumurí River, where
is still living one of them: Esteban Bacallao ''Chacha'' and many
of them, with the same humility and feeling, proper of people who
live with the times, render tribute to Orishas, sing, dance on the
streets having the same energy of their parents, grandparents, honoring
always the wise race of their ancestors.
 Workers
of port, common people, has always integrated the group, first one
founded by Florencio Calle (Director and Catá) in an unforgettable
duo of voices: Esteban Cantrí, "Saldiguera" and
Hortensio Alfonso "Virulilla"; Esteban Bacallao, Angel
Pellado, Ernesto Torriente, Juan Mesa y Gregorio Díaz "Goyito",
in percussion, who left their prints in each theme, each drum, each
gesture and fortunately, in a rich discographic testimony.
Once upon a time, came to Marina somebody looking for Guaguancó
Matancero, famous for its hot Rumbas at parties and descargas in
the neighborhood, then, a Rumba sung by Alberto Maza and Lulú
Yonkori Group was well-known having the name of El vive bien,
which have been recorded by Panart Recording House holding great
acceptance. Then a small record label, Puchito, having intentions
of satisfy to people of ''victrolas'' demand, decided to edit with
298 number in its catalog, two themes of ''Los Muñequitos''
Group by Esteban Lantrí and Los Beodos by Lorenzo Martínez.
According to the prestigious researcher Manuel Villar`s opinion;
Los Muñequitos was the Rumba song that after El
vive bien was more successful in Cuba at that time, to identify
them as the famous that were singing about comics of the newspapers,
then people started to call them ''Los Muñequitos'', to complete
the references was necessary to say where they were from, so they
were renamed with the title that is still identifying them in our
days: ''Los Muñequitos de Matanzas''
See discography at www.discuba.com
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