Enrique Raúl Planas Fernández (September 18, 1920 – February 28, 2001) was a popular Cuban singer and songwriter. He performed and recorded with many bands and musicians, including Carlos Barbería y su Orquesta Kubavana,

Sonora Matancera La Sonora Matancera is a Cuban band that played Latin American urban popular dance music. Founded in 1924 and led for more than five decades by guitarist, vocalist, composer, and producer Rogelio Martínez, musicologists consider it an icon o ...

Celia Cruz Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso (21 October 1925 – 16 July 2003), known as Celia Cruz, was a Cuban singer and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. Cruz rose to fame in Cuba during the 1950s as a singer of , earning the nickna ...

Conjunto Rumbavana Conjunto Rumbavana is a Cuban band founded in 1955, directed by pianist Joseíto González. Its repertoire included popular music like bolero, guaracha, chachachá, son montuno, conga, and danzón Danzón is the official genre and dance of ...

Conjunto Chappottín Conjunto Chappottín, also known as Chappottín y sus Estrellas, is a Cuban son conjunto from Havana. It was founded in 1950 by trumpeter Félix Chappottín, pianist Lilí Martínez, singer Miguelito Cuní and other members of Arsenio Rodríguez' ...

, Charanga Rubalcaba, Rubén González, and the

Afro-Cuban All Stars Afro-Cuban All Stars is a Cuban band led by Juan de Marcos González. Their music is a mix of all the styles of Cuban music, including bolero, chachachá, salsa, son montuno, timba, guajira, danzón, rumba and abakua. They are known internati ...

Early life

Raúl Planas was born in

Camajuaní Camajuaní is a municipality and town in the Villa Clara Province of Cuba. History In 1819 was decided the construction of a new port in near Caibarién to replace an old one located in Tesisco. From that moment, settlers established in the sur ...

Villa Clara province Villa Clara is one of the provinces of Cuba. It is located in the central region of the island bordering on the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Matanzas Province to the west, Sancti Spiritus Province to the east, and Cienfuegos Province to the Sou ...

, Cuba on September 18, 1920. At thirteen, he joined a number of ''

son A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative. Social issues In pre-industrial societies and some current ...

'' groups in his native town, such as Benito De Amas, Cervantes en Remedios and others, and developed into a prominent singer in both ''son'' and ''

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 h ...

'' styles.

Career

During the 1940s, Planas moved to Havana, where he joined the Juanito Roger ensemble, the Ernesto Duarte orchestra, and Carlos Barbería´s Kubavana jazz-band as a singer. He toured extensively with

and

, in both America and Europe, and made several recordings for the

Puchito Puchito Records was Cuba's second independent record label. It was founded in 1954 during the mambo and cha-cha-chá explosion. Many of its recordings, produced by its founder Jesús Gorís, became instant hits. History Early career of Puc ...

Panart Panart was one of the first and most successful independent record labels in Cuba, founded in 1944 by engineer Ramón Sabat. In 1961, its studios were seized by Fidel Castro's communist regime and the label was nationalized, becoming "Panart Naci ...

and

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic ...

record labels, including with Orquesta Ritmo y Melodía, directed by Roberto Puente, in 1959. In 1966, Planas joined the

Rumbavana Conjunto Rumbavana is a Cuban band founded in 1955, directed by pianist Joseíto González. Its repertoire included popular music like bolero, guaracha, chachachá, son montuno, conga, and danzón Danzón is the official genre and dan ...

ensemble (founded in 1955), sharing vocals with Fernando González and Guido Soto. Under the direction of

Joseíto González Joseíto González (November 1, 1940 – April 3, 1997) was a Cuban pianist and director of Conjunto Rumbavana. He was a teacher of Adalberto Álvarez and a member of the late Orquesta Riverside. Biography Born in Matanzas on November 1 ...

, the Rumbavana ensemble released a series of successful recordings by the EGREM label and a number of radio broadcasting studios. During this period and into the 1970s, Planas sang on many hits, such as "Te invito un momento" and "Te traigo mi son cubano". In 1982, he joined the Conjunto Tropicuba, sharing vocals at one point with

Felix Baloy Felix may refer to: * Felix (name), people and fictional characters with the name Places * Arabia Felix is the ancient Latin name of Yemen * Felix, Spain, a municipality of the province Almería, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, ...

, and then the

. Later on, he became a member of the Rubalcaba Orchestra. As a solo artist he released his first solo album, ''Señor del son'', in the 1980s through Siboney. In the early 1990s, he formed part of

Félix Reina Félix Rafael Herrera Altuna (May 21, 1921 – February 10, 1998), better known as Félix Reina, was a Cuban violinist, arranger, music director and composer. Since the mid-1940s, he was a member of many popular charangas, including Arcaño y sus ...

's charanga. After turning independent, he guested on recordings such as the CD entitled ''Pasaporte'' (winner of the EGREM Great Award in 1994), with

Tata Güines Federico Arístides Soto Alejo (June 30, 1930 – February 4, 2008), better known as Tata Güines, was a Cuban percussionist, bandleader and arranger. He was widely regarded as a master of the conga drum, and alongside Carlos "Patato" Valdés, in ...

and Miguel "Angá" Díaz. In 1994, Planas and

Radio Progreso Radio Progreso is a Cuban Spanish language radio station. Founded on 15 December 1929, it has provided musical and other cultural programmes ever since. Live performances are held in Studio 1 (Estudio Uno) which holds an audience of 300 people. Th ...

announcer Eduardo Rosillo approached retired pianist Rubén González—with whom Planas had already recorded the album ''Dos Grandes'' five years earlier—with the idea of recording new versions of ten songs composed by fellow Cuban pianist

Lilí Martínez Luis Martínez Griñán (19 August 1915 – 26 August 1990), better known as Lilí Martínez, was a Cuban pianist, arranger and composer specializing in the son montuno style. He played in the Conjunto de Arsenio Rodríguez and Conjunto Chappo ...

.Rosillo, Eduardo (1999). Sleeve notes from ''Son Inconcluso'' (in Spanish). EGREM Records CD0334. (1999). The resulting album, ''Son Inconcluso'', featured a full band including bassist

Orlando "Cachaíto" López Candelario Orlando López Vergara (February 2, 1933 – February 9, 2009), better known as Cachaíto, was a Cuban bassist and composer, who gained international fame after his involvement in the Buena Vista Social Club recordings. He was nickn ...

and Arturo "Alambre dulce" Harvey (ex-''

tresero The tres (Spanish for ''three'') is a three-course chordophone of Cuban origin. The most widespread variety of the instrument is the original Cuban tres with six strings. Its sound has become a defining characteristic of the Cuban son and it is ...

'' with

), among others, and was released in 1999 by

EGREM EGREM (Empresa de Grabaciones y Ediciones Musicales, Spanish for ''Enterprise of Recordings and Musical Editions'') is the national record label of Cuba. It is headquartered in Centro Habana, where its main record studios (''Estudios Areito'' 101 ...

. In 1996, Planas joined the

project directed by

Juan de Marcos González Juan de Marcos González (born Juan de Marcos González-Cárdenas; January 29, 1954) is a Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of isl ...

, and participated in the recording of ''

A Toda Cuba le Gusta A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, and others worldwide. Its name in English is '' a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes''. It is similar in shape to the Ancient ...

'', which was nominated for the 1997 Grammy Awards. This album again featured Rubén González and Orlando "Cachaíto" López, along with a

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...

of veteran Cuban musicians and singers such as

Ibrahim Ferrer Ibrahim Ferrer (20 February 1927 – 6 August 2005) was a Cuban singer who played with the group Los Bocucos for nearly forty years. He also performed with Conjunto Sorpresa, Chepín y su Orquesta Oriental, and Mario Patterson. After his re ...

Pío Leyva Pío Leiva (May 5, 1917 – March 22, 2006) was a Cuban singer and the author of the guaracha ''El Mentiroso'' ("The Liar"). Leyva was part of the Buena Vista Social Club, and composed some of Cuba's best known standards. Biography Leyva was b ...

, Manuel 'Puntillita' Licea, and

Félix Baloy Félix Baloy (born November, 12, in 1944 in Mayari, Holguín, Cuba) is a Cubans, Cuban singer, sonero, and percussionist. He has a Havana urban accent. He has been a vocalist with many groups, including Chappotin y Sus Estrellas, Revé, and Ada ...

. It was the first album recorded during the consecutive sessions that would also deliver the albums ''

Buena Vista Social Club Buena Vista Social Club was a musical ensemble primarily made up of Cuban musicians, formed in 1996. The project was organized by World Circuit (record label), World Circuit executive Nick Gold, produced by American guitarist Ry Cooder and dire ...

'' and '' Introducing...Rubén González''. Planas also wrote songs such as: "Baila Francisca",Sleeve notes from ''Te Invito Un Momento'', EGREM CD 0072. (1995). "Dicharachos Criollos", "Maria Del Carmen",Sleeve notes from ''Conjunto Rumbavana/Raúl Planas – Reencuentro Entre Soneros'', EGREM LP LD–349. (1987) "Me Voy a Poner Pa' Tí", "Que Buenas Son", "Quiéreme Mucho Caridad", "Se Me Fue Mi Negrita",Sleeve notes from ''Dos Grandes: Raúl Planas & Rubén González / Con la Orquesta Jorrín'', EGREM CD 0392. (2000). and "Sola Estás". Planas died at his home in Pueblo Nuevo,

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

Selected discography

As primary artist

* ''Señor del son'' (Siboney, 1980s) * ''Te Invito Un Momento'' (EGREM, 1995) * ''Para Todos Los Tiempos'' (Orun, 2002) – Recorded in 2000 * ''Tumbayaya'' (EGREM, 2004)Sleeve notes from ''Tumbayaya'', Havana Nites CD HN011. (2004). * ''La Vida Es Un Sueño'' (Connector, 2009)

With Carlos Barbería y su Orquesta Kubavana

* ''Que Tienes Titina?'' (Panart, 1950s) * ''A Toda Cuba Le Gusta'' (Caney CCD 505, 1995) – Recorded in 1958-1959. Planas sings on tracks 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 14, 16Sleeve notes from ''Orquesta Kubavana – A Toda Cuba Le Gusta'', Caney CCD 505. (1995). * ''Perlas Cubanas: Yo Soy Caguairán'' (Vintage Music, 2014)

With Orquesta Ritmo y Melodía

* ''Perlas Cubanas: Raúl Planas y Orquesta Ritmo y Melodía'' (Vintage Music, 2014)

With Conjunto Rumbavana

* ''Reencuentro Entre Soneros'' (EGREM, 1987)

With Charanga Rubalcaba

* ''Fundadores Del Sabor'' (1995) – Planas sings on tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 12Sleeve notes from ''Fundadores Del Sabor'', DISCMEDI CD DM210CD. (1995).

With Tata Güines & Miguel "Angá" Díaz

* ''Pasaporte'' (Enja, 1994) – Planas sings on "Rumberos Del Ayer"Sleeve notes from ''Pasaporte'', Enja Enj–9019 2. (1994).

With Rubén González

* ''Dos Grandes: Raúl Planas & Rubén González / Con la Orquesta Jorrín'' (EGREM, 2000) – Recorded in 1989 * ''Son Inconcluso'' (EGREM, 1999) – Recorded in 1994; reissued as ''Trilogía De Boleros'' in 2002 on the Exotica labelSleeve notes from ''Trilogía De Boleros'' Exotica, EXTC018. (2002).

With Afro-Cuban All Stars

* ''

'' (World Circuit, 1997)

Compilations

* ''Son Del Mundo'' (EGREM, 2000) – Planas sings on "Como Siento Yo" and "Juancito Trucupey"Sleeve notes from ''Son Del Mundo'', EGREM CD 0393. (2000). * ''De Cuba Son: Roots of Buena Vista'' (EGREM, 2000) – Planas sings on "Rumberos Del Ayer" and "A Mi Manera"Sleeve notes from ''De Cuba Son: Roots of Buena Vista'', EGREM CD 0397. (2000). * ''Cuban Superstars'' (Direct Source, 2004) – Planas sings on "Rumberos Del Ayer"Sleeve notes from ''Cuban Superstars'', Direct Source. (2004). * ''Cuban All Stars - Volume 2'' (Connector, 2010) – Planas sings on "Los Herederos"Sleeve notes from ''Cuban All Stars - Volume 2'', Connector. (2010). * ''Th'is Cuba: Hot Cuban Music'' (Promo Sound, 2011) – Planas sings on "Rumberos Del Ayer"Sleeve notes from ''Th'is Cuba: Hot Cuban Music'', Promo Sound CD 6509/1. (2011). * ''Best of Buena Vista'' (Arc Music, 2012) – Planas sings on tracks 5, 9, 12, 17Sleeve notes from ''Best of Buena Vista'', Arc Music CD EUCD2410. (2012). * ''El Gran Tesoro de la Musica Cubana, Vol.1'' (2013) – Planas sings on "Soy Hijo del Siboney"