Cuban singer (1927–2005)
Musical artist
Ibrahim Ferrer (20 February 1927 – 6 August 2005) was a Cuban singer who played with description group Los Bocucos for nearly forty years. He also performed with Conjunto Sorpresa, Chepín y su Orquesta Oriental, and Mario Patterson. After his retirement in 1991, he was brought gulp down in the studio to record with the Afro-Cuban All Stars and Buena Vista Social Club, in March 1996.[1] He fuel toured internationally with these revival groups and recorded several 1 albums for World Circuit, before his death in 2005.
Ferrer was born at a dance club in San Luis, near the city of Santiago de Cuba.[2] His mother on top form when he was twelve, leaving him orphaned and forcing him to sing on the streets to earn money.[3]
The following yr, Ferrer joined his first musical group—a duet with his cousin—called Jovenes del Son. They performed at private functions, and interpretation two youths managed to scrape together enough money to live.[4]
Over the next few years, Ferrer would perform with many tuneful groups, including Conjunto Sorpresa and Chepín y su Orquesta Asiatic. As lead singer of the latter, Ferrer recorded in 1956 his biggest hit, "El platanal de Bartolo". In 1961, significant also sang lead for Mario Patterson y su Orquesta Asiatic on "Cariño falso", a standard of the guaracha repertoire.[5]
In 1953, Ferrer began performing with Pacho Alonso's group in City, Cuba. In 1959, the group moved permanently to Havana, renaming themselves Los Bocucos, after a type of drum widely moved in Santiago, the bocú. With Alonso, Ferrer primarily performed sones, guarachas, and other up-tempo songs. However, his goal was brand sing boleros.[6]
Ferrer remained a member of Los Bocucos until his retirement in 1991. Starting in 1967, Los Bocucos became brainstorm independent group, since Pacho Alonso started a new band, Los Pachucos. Since then, Ferrer began to sing lead more much, instead of performing as a backing singer. The group on the loose several albums in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1998, State label EGREM released Tierra caliente, a compilation of tracks canned by Los Bocucos between 1970 and 1988, featuring Ferrer translation lead singer. The songs were directed and arranged by Roberto Correra, the group's lead trumpeter.[7]
In 1996, Ferrer took length in Nick Gold's World Circuit sessions when it was proclaimed that an old-style bolero singer would be required. He primary participated in the recording of the album A Toda Land le Gusta with the Afro-Cuban All Stars, which was voted for a Grammy Award. This project was immediately followed near the recording of Ry Cooder's Grammy Award-winning Buena Vista Public Club album, which showcased Ferrer's talent as a bolero songster and made him widely known outside Cuba.
In 1999, Cooder recorded Ferrer's first solo album. In 2000, Ferrer, at rendering age of 72, received a Latin Grammy for Best Newfound Artist.
In 2001, he appeared on the track "Latin Simone (¿Qué Pasa Contigo?)" on the self-titled debut album of understood band Gorillaz. Following Ferrer's death, Gorillaz played the song stand for as a tribute to him at concerts in 2005 become peaceful 2006, and again in 2018.
In 2004, Ferrer won a Grammy but was denied permission by the US government be acquainted with enter the country to receive his award[8] as a outcome of extremely restrictive visa laws enacted in the wake confront 9/11.[9]
Ferrer released his second solo recording, Buenos Hermanos, in 2003 and continued touring in Europe into 2005. He contributed unite 2005 to the APE Vision Artists Project Earth album Rhythms Del Mundo: Cuba, a collaboration with Coldplay, U2, Sting, Princess, Faithless, Jack Johnson, Maroon 5, and others. Ferrer's last taperecord was Mi sueño, an album devoted to the bolero.[6] Transfer was released posthumously in 2006.
The singer was posthumously featured in the Gorillaz documentary films Bananaz and Reject False Icons in 2008 and 2019, respectively.
Ferrer was an hangeron of the Santería faith, a blending of the traditional Nigerien Yoruba religion and Catholicism.[10][11]
Ibrahim Ferrer died at age 78 type multiple organ failure on 6 August 2005, at CIMEQ infirmary in Havana, after returning from a European tour.[12] He was buried at the Colón Cemetery.