The grandchildren of the Great Compay Segundo

Versión en Español

The Grandchildren of the great Compay Segundo and Echos of Siboney
An interview with the grandchildren of Compay Segundo by

"...desde chiquito lo aprendí,
mi abuelo a mí me lo enseñó."
("...ever since I was little I learned,
my grandfather taught it to me.")

"These are my grandchildren and I am sure they will carry on for me, with the sheer quality that they have," expressed Compay Segundo in Havana, introducing the group at their inception in 1998.

Ecos de Siboney at the Casa de la Trova Santiaguera.

Ecos de Siboney is a group which was born from family roots. It was their famous grandfather, the renowned Compay Segundo who had suggested that his four grandsons forma group to continue the most well known of the Cuban musical traditions, the Trova Cubana.

The name, Ecos de Siboney is dedicated to the place where Francisco Repilado (Compay Segundo) was born on November 18, 1907 in the area around Siboney, a popular swimming hole about 15 kilometers from the city of Santiago de Cuba.

When Compay Segundo passed away on July 13, 2003 (see report in Spanish, here), he was known world-wide for spreading Cuban culture, for being a creative genious and for his famous song, Chan Chan.

Four grandsons of Compay Segundo, make up Ecos de Siboney. They are: Ernesto, 34, Alejandro, 31, Leonardo, 28, and Reinier, 25. They are all sons of Amparo Repilado, Compay's daughter who sang with him when he separated from Lorenzo Hierrezuelo, the other half of the famous duo, Los compadres.

Amparo is the Artistic Director of the group and her husband, José Antonio Morales, is the group Manager. They are also the proud parents of these boys. To understand what they feel for their departed grandfather, SalsaPower spoke with Leonardo Morales Repilado, who spoke on behalf of his brothers.

Nereyda: Perhaps he resembles his father more than his mother, the daughter of Compay Segundo, but Leonardo has inherited from his famous grandfather certain gestures, the engaging and contagious smile, and his musical and moral virtues which make him a legitimate heir of all the greatness that made up the unforgettable Compay Segundo. What can you tell us about your grandfater ...how do you remember him?

Leonardo: What can I say about my grandfather? He was the greatest grandfather a child could have. He was my inspiration for becoming a musician. He was a walking cultural ambassador for Cuban music. He travelled to many countries and sang and played with a lot of love but he was also very loving with his grandkids and he gave us great advice with regard to human values becasue he was someone so very special...
I recall that every time he took a trip he would tell us about it and he was very proud to be able to represent Cuba with so much success.

My grandfather had something to say about everything. He was very respectful and very much a gentleman with the ladies. He was also very affectionate with his children and his grandchildren. He was a great person who inspired respect and left us with a lasting memory.

I lived with him for several years and I always keep his advice close to my heart, his recommendations, and his respect for his friends. The only regret I have was to have been able to perform with him. That was still pending.

I am 28 years old and I hold my grandfather on the highest pedestal. He always inspired me to be a little better every day and to do it all with love. I am a bongo player!

My mother is the extension of my grandfather and because of her we are making music with much sentiment, in honor of his memory.

My grandfather taught all his grandkids how to play and he was the intellectual author of all the material of Ecos de Siboney. I remember the last time he grabbed a guitar, it was to play, Besos Diabólicos. After that he didn't play any more. His death was a very hard blow for all of us and we still can't get used to having lost him. But we are following in his footsteps and we don't want to disappoint him. We will create great music and we will do it with a lot of love.

Ecos de Siboney had its debut at the musical peña at the Unión de Periodistas de Cuba (UPEC), in Vedado, Havana, in 1998. The group has 36 songs in its repetoire, all of them written by the most pretigious Cuban authors such as Miguel Matamoros, Francisco Repilado (Compay), Benny Moré, Lorenzo Hierrezuelo, Joseíto Fernández, José White, Isolina Carrillo, Rodrigo Prat, Bienvenido Julián Gutiérrez.

They also include songs by Ernesto Morales, Juan Pablo y Elsa Torres, Carlos Nápoles, Pedro Flores.
The septet runs the gammut of different popular musical genres: son, guaracha, bolero, balada, canción, mambo, zamba-son, guajira, habanera, afro-son, guaguancó-son and merengue.

For all of the musicians who make up Ecos de Siboney, Compay Segundo meant so much. He instigated them to form the group, he set the standards with his examples and teachings and he still guides them today in their professional and personal lives. A few days ago, Compay Segundo's grandsons and their band mates from Ecos de Siboney arrived in Santiago de Cuba and went to visit the tomb of their emblematic grandfather at the Cemetery of Santa Ifigenia where they paid him an emotional musical tribute.

That evening they played at the Patio de Artex, a very special place in the Cuban musical tradition on Heredia street, a cultural center in the Caribbean city of Santiago de Cuba. The next day they held a concert at the Salón de los Grandes inside the Empresa de Grabaciones y Ediciones Musicales (EGREM) upstairs in the Casa de la Trova Santiaguera and it was here that we got to enjoy their music.

At the beginning of each concert by Ecos de Siboney they play the recording of their grandfather's voice presenting his grandsons. It is very emotional and brings tears to people's eyes, making their hearts beat a bit faster just to remember this very much loved and unforgettable Cuban musical figure.

Inquiring into the future of the Ecos de Siboney, the are planning to present poetry set to music, written by some of the most illustrious Cuban composers, centering the repetoire around the "poesía montuna" by Máximo Francisco Repilado Muñoz (Compay Segundo) which they can identify with and which has set down eternal roots.

The Cuban son, warm and tropical, is planted in the hearts of the members of this septet, made up of traditional string instruments, percussion instruments and which forms a part of the rich musical tradition and our roots.

The melodious sound of the tres and the combination of the harmonies of the first and second voices, supported by the rhythmic chorus makes the harmony and melody stand out, with contemporaneous overtones in their interpretations.

The cadence of the bass and the guitar accompanying the tres guide the group through the safe port of tradition, respecting the musical nature of the typical son cubano. The first and second clarinets add that majestic touch and set this group apart from any other.

From the intimacy of their voices, a natural feeling of "Cubanía" is born from the souls of interpreters which sounds reveille in the hearts of those who hear them. Ecos de Siboney stands firm upon the traditional Cuban musical identity.

The members of Ecos de Siboney in La Casa de la Trova Santiaguera, with the SalsaPower reporter, Nereyda Barceló Fundora, Luisa Blanco, Artistic representative from the Son de Cuba Agency, and Cándida, daughter of Macusa, who was the inspirational muse for the song that carries her name, written by Compay Segundo

Ernesto Morales Repilado - bass, 2nd voice and Director
Alejandro Morales Repilado - 1st voice and Administrator
Héctor Alexander González Duarte - singer, minor percussion
Leonardo Morales Repilado - Bongó
Vicente Saúl Cárdenas - Congas
Ricardo Chanel Rodríguez González - Tres
Hanry Suárez Gamboa - Guitar
Darían Manuel Pérez Raymat - First Clarinet
Roviet Oses López - Second Clarinet
José Antonio Morales Castillo - Manager
Reinier Morales Repilado - Audio Engineer

All editorials and letters to the Editor of SalsaPower are personal opinions of those who write them and may not necessarily reflect the position of SalsaPower.