Adolfo Columbo (

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Mo ...

, 1868 –

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

1953) was a leading singer in the Alhambra Theatre in Havana, and also an actor and a leading personality in the theatre. Colombo was the most recorded artist in Cuba up to 1925: records show he recorded about 350 numbers between 1906 and 1917. Colombo was a

tenor A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors i ...

, who sang regularly with Claudio García ( baritone) in the theatre and on recordings. He also recorded with Regino López and other artists between 1906 and 1929. In 1908 he joined the ''Cuarteto Villalón'' with García, Emilio Reinoso (

mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...

), and Alberto Villalón (

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...

). This was an early precursor of the son groups that developed later in Havana. Their repertoire included

bolero Bolero is a genre of song which originated in eastern Cuba in the late 19th century as part of the trova tradition. Unrelated to the older Spanish dance of the same name, bolero is characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. It ha ...

s and other Cuban genres such as guarachas, a genre which owed its origin to the theatre. One that has been reissued by ''Harlequin'' reveals a funky number which is hard to categorize. Listed as a rumba, it is perhaps better described as a ''guaracha-son''. The artists singing are Colombo and Claudio García, the guitar probably Alberto Villalón, plus an unknown musician playing what may be a ''tres'' guitar; there is also a clavé. All three named players were white, yet the number is creole, almost Afro-Cuban, in style. ''Mamá Teresa'' is still quite well known today in Cuba, and has been recorded by many other groups: :Mamá Teresa se va... :Mamá Teresa se va... :Porque no quiere bailar la rumba :Con Juan que tiene la pata gamba ::(Mama Teresa's leaving... ::Mama Teresa's leaving... ::'Coz she don't wanna dance rumba ::With Juan an' his lame foot) Theatre and

theatrical music Theatre music refers to a wide range of music composed or adapted for performance in theatres. Genres of theatre music include opera, ballet and several forms of musical theatre, from pantomime to operetta and modern stage musicals and revues. Ano ...

were hugely important in Cuba in the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. The

zarzuela () is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular songs, as well as dance. The etymology of the name is uncertain, but some propose it may derive from the name of ...

s (light one-act operettas) and bufos (ribald satirical comedy) both included songs with content about contemporary political and social events. They played a part in the creole movement for the emancipation of slaves and the independence of Cuba. They played a part in criticising governments, lampooning public figures and poking fun at the behaviour of men and women. Most of the recordings Colombo made are now lost, but lyrics have largely survived, and some have been reprinted. There was a long-standing debate about Colombo's place of birth and origin, which has now been settled by the recent publication of his place of birth as the Canary Islands.Giro Radamés 2007. ''Diccionario enciclopédico de la música en Cuba''. La Habana. volume 1, p244.

References

External links

Discography of Adolfo Colombo
on

Victor Records The Victor Talking Machine Company was an American recording company and phonograph manufacturer that operated independently from 1901 until 1929, when it was acquired by the Radio Corporation of America and subsequently operated as a subsid ...

from the Encyclopedic Discography of Victor Recordings (EDVR) {{DEFAULTSORT:Colombo, Adolfo 1868 births 1953 deaths Cuban male singers Cuban male musical theatre actors Cuban theatre people