Reinaldo Hierrezuelo La O (30 December 1926 – 23 February 2016), known professionally as Rey Caney, was a Cuban singer,

guitarist A guitarist (or a guitar player) is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselve ...

, and

tres Tres may refer to: * Tres (instrument), a Cuban musical instrument * Tres, Trentino, municipality in Italy * "Tres" (song) by Juanes * "Tres", a song by Líbido from their album ''Hembra'' * TrES, the ''Trans-Atlantic Exoplanet Survey'' * Templi ...

ero. Born in

Santiago de Cuba Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana. The municipality extends over , and contains ...

as the youngest of 11 siblings, he led

Cuarteto Patría Cuarteto Patria is a musical group from Santiago de Cuba. It was founded in 1939 by Francisco Cobas la O (Pancho Cobas), who was the director, along with Emilia Gracia, Rigoberto Hechaverría (Maduro), and Rey Caney (Reinaldo Hierrezuelo la O). T ...

for some time; this famous group is now led by

Eliades Ochoa Eliades Ochoa Bustamante (born 22 June 1946) is a Cuban guitarist and singer from Loma de la Avispa, Songo La Maya in the east of the country near Santiago de Cuba. He began playing the guitar when he was six and in 1978 he was invited to jo ...

. In the middle 1950s, he took over

Compay Segundo Máximo Francisco Repilado Muñoz Telles (18 November 1907 – 13 July 2003), known professionally as "Compay Segundo", was a Cuban trova guitarist, singer and composer. Biography Compay (meaning '' compadre'') Segundo, so called because ...

's place in the duo Los Compadres, as "Duo Los Compadres" they recorded for several record labels including Panart and Seeco, with the latter he also recorded as Rey Caney in New York City in 1960. The other partner being his elder brother Lorenzo Hierrezuelo. He and his brother sang together for thirty years. He also sang and played with many other groups, and finally came back to Santiago de Cuba to lead the

Vieja Trova Santiaguera La Vieja Trova Santiaguera is a Cuban musical band that formed in 1994 and became successful in Europe. Its members included: *Reinaldo Hierrezuelo la O (known as ''Rey Caney''), solo voice and lead guitar/tres) (Santiago de Cuba, 30 December 1926) ...

, one of the top groups in Cuba's second city. He also worked with his sister Caridad Hierrezuelo, a singer of guaracha style. His most popular composition is "" (The sugar cane's burning). He recorded two songs with

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 ...

, "" and "Quiero emborracharme". Reinaldo Hierrezuelo La O died in Havana in 2016.

References

Cuban composers Male composers Cuban male singers Cuban guitarists Cuban male guitarists 1926 births 2016 deaths People from Santiago de Cuba Cuban male musicians {{Cuba-musician-stub