Antonio Machín
An operatic tenor who broke the color barrier in one of Cuba's most prestigious orchestras, and a musical ambassador to the United States and Europe, Antonio Machín was a pivotal figure in the history of Cuban music who is not always remembered as such. While perhaps the greatest sonero of the pre-war era, his recorded output from this period is frustratingly uneven. Several discs document Machín's career between 1929 and 1938, a prolific period when the superb quality of his best performances was not often equaled. Machin was also by nature an itinerant soul, which may account for his relative obscurity today. He left Havana for New York in 1930, New York for London and Paris in 1935, and finally Paris for Madrid just before World War II, where he lived until his death in 1977.
The salient feature of Machín's early life was that his ambition to sing opera was frustrated by that fact that he was born a poor mulatto in Cuba at the turn of the century. There is an operatic sensibility in his best performances -- El Manisero, Lamento Esclavo, Blanca Rosa -- that makes one wonder how he would have handled Verdi. In any case, in 1926 Machín made his way to Havana from Sagua La Grande, his birthplace on the northern part of the island, determined to become a singer. He soon became a featured vocalist at the Casino Nacional of Havana, the first singer of color ever to do so. In 1930, he toured with the Casino Nacional orchestra to the United States, where on April 26 the band opened at the Palace Theater in New York. There Machín sang El Manisero ("The Peanut Vendor"), which was the first Cuban song to become a national hit in the United States. Equally significant was the fact that the American public was for the first time hearing authentic Cuban music. Machín and the Casino Nacional orchestra were setting the stage for the U.S. rhumba craze of the '30s.
After the success of El Manisero, Machín released a spate of recordings in New York between 1930 and 1935. During this period he waxed some 200 sides, recording even more than American pop star Bing Crosby. Machín did much of his work in a small-group format, favoring quartets comprised of claves, tres, guitar, and trumpet. While the personnel for these quartets varied, Machín was most often accompanied by guitarist Daniel Sanchez, who sings duets with him on the vast majority of these recordings. Sanchez has a pleasant baritone that contrasts with Machín's tenor, but there's no indication on any recording that he's Machín's equal as a vocalist. Best-known of all the quartet personnel is Mario Bauza, who would later become the Machito orchestra's musical director. Bauza plays trumpet on some of the quartet sessions.
Often, though, Machín's voice sounds rather choked and high, and his accompaniment uninspired. What accounts for the variable quality of his '30s recordings? Some blame must be assigned to weak songwriting. It's no coincidence that two of his greatest songs, El Manisero and Lamento Esclavo, were written by Moises Simons, whose pretty melodies allowed Machín space to stretch his vocal cords. But when with his quartet, Machín did not sing songs that demanded bravura performances. This is a shame, because he was more than capable of rising to the challenge. Daniel Sanchez, his partner in duets, may not have been equal to the task, a possible reason for the conservative material. Also problematic was the quartet form. Machín sounds better -- more dramatic -- backed by a large orchestra, as he is on Lamento Esclavo. The arrangements for the quartet, on the other hand, do not always show him to advantage. They can be repetitive, and one gets the sense that Machín was cranking some of these tunes out, which, no doubt, he was. Still, Machín's place in Cuban -- and American -- musical history is secure, and justifiably so. When he's at his best, Machín's coloratura can send a chill up your spine.
© Spencer Harrington /TiVo
Similar artists
-
El Manisero (Remastered)
Pop - Released by Conarte Grabaciones on Jan 28, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Antonio Machín, Grandes Éxitos
Bolero - Released by Tam-Tam Media on Jul 1, 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
20 Grandes Exitos
Pop - Released by Parlophone Spain on Jan 1, 1989
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lo Mejor de Antonio Machín (Remastered)
Latin America - Released by Universal Digital Enterprises on Feb 22, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Antonio Machin Eterno
Classical - Released by Luna Nueva Records on Mar 31, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Toda Una Vida... El Bolero
Pop - Released by Parlophone Spain on Mar 27, 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Canta sus Mejores Exitos
World - Released by ARO Records on Jan 1, 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
El Manisero
World - Released by José Luis Álvarez - Svetlana Novojilova Shulguina on Mar 5, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lo Mejor de Antonio Machín (Remastered)
Classical - Released by Fonal Music on Jul 18, 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Viva!
Latin America - Released by Universal Digital Enterprises on Dec 10, 1963
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dos gardenias
World - Released by Parlophone Spain on Jul 13, 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mira Que Eres Linda
World - Released by José Luis Álvarez - Svetlana Novojilova Shulguina on Mar 5, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Toda una Vida
Classical - Released by flor del caribe records on Jun 26, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Las 50 Mejores Grabaciones De Antonio Machín En Discophon (1903-1977)
Bolero - Released by Rama Lama on Jan 1, 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Vintage Music No. 64 - LP: Antonio Machín
Bolero - Released by Vintage Music on Mar 25, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Echale Salsita
Latin America - Released by Tumbao Cuban Classics on Jan 9, 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dos Gardenias (Remastered)
Pop - Released by Conarte Grabaciones on Jan 28, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Angelitos negros
Pop - Released by Parlophone Spain on Jul 17, 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Music of Cuba - The Best of Antonio Machin
World - Released by Black Round Records on Apr 22, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cancionero De Oro: Madrecita, Vol. 5
Jazz - Released by Fresh Sound Records on Jan 1, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo