Miguel Faílde
Encyclopedia
Miguel Faílde Pérez was a Cuban musician and bandleader. He was the official originator of the danzón
, and the founder of the Orquesta Faílde.
Faílde's father was a Galician
immigrant, and his mother a parda (dark mulatta). He was first taught music by his father, who was a trombone
player, and at ten played cornet
in the Banda de Bomberros (firemen) de Matanzas. Later he learnt harmony
and composition
under a French tutor, Federico Peclier. He also learnt the viola
and double bass
. Faílde, a mulatto, was one of many musicians who actively conspired against the Spanish colonial rule; his life included the time of the Cuban War of Independence
.
His orchestra was highly successful, though his major achievements were the creation of the danzón and the compositions he wrote, many of which have been adapted since for other rhythms. The danzón was, in his own words, a development of the danza
, and that was the child of the contradanza
. "De la danza al danzón había un simple paso." (from the danza to the danzón is a simple step) Actually, it was not quite such a simple step. For a start, the danzón was a much slower dance than both the contradanza and the danza; and it allowed for pauses between the different sections of a number. Both these features were welcomed in the tropical climate of Cuba. Perhaps even more significantly, the danzón was a couple dance, though not a moving one like the waltz. The contradanza and danza were both sequence dances involving the whole dance-floor, as were all ballroom dances before the waltz.
The habanera
was the established favourite before the danzón came on the scene. It was also a slow dance, and a descendent of the contradanza. The habanera had the advantage of being a sung genre, which the danzón was not until much later. Both genres made use of syncopated creole rhythms; in the danzón it is the cinquillo
. In retrospect it is often difficult to see why one genre is preferred to another; the quality of compositions and the orchestras which choose to play it must have some influence.
Did Faílde really invent the danzón? The doubt is caused by the work of Manuel Saumell
, who anticipated many of the rhythms which came later in the 19th century, and who may be the most important Cuban composer of that century. At length the Cuban government made Faílde the official inventor of the danzón – in 1960, by which time the danzón had become a relic, and its 'child', the chachachá, had taken over.
Danzón
Danzón is the official dance of Cuba. It is also an active musical form in Mexico and is still beloved in Puerto Rico where Verdeluz, a modern danzón by Puerto Rican composer Antonio Cabán Vale is considered the unofficial national anthem...
, and the founder of the Orquesta Faílde.
Faílde's father was a Galician
Galician people
The Galicians are an ethnic group, a nationality whose historical homeland is Galicia in north-western Spain. Most Galicians are bilingual, speaking both their historic language, Galician, and Castilian Spanish.-Political and administrative divisions:...
immigrant, and his mother a parda (dark mulatta). He was first taught music by his father, who was a trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
player, and at ten played cornet
Cornet
The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...
in the Banda de Bomberros (firemen) de Matanzas. Later he learnt harmony
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
and composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
under a French tutor, Federico Peclier. He also learnt the viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
and double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
. Faílde, a mulatto, was one of many musicians who actively conspired against the Spanish colonial rule; his life included the time of the Cuban War of Independence
Cuban War of Independence
Cuban War of Independence was the last of three liberation wars that Cuba fought against Spain, the other two being the Ten Years' War and the Little War...
.
His orchestra was highly successful, though his major achievements were the creation of the danzón and the compositions he wrote, many of which have been adapted since for other rhythms. The danzón was, in his own words, a development of the danza
Danza
Danza is a musical genre that originated in Ponce, a city in southern Puerto Rico. It is a popular turn-of-the-twentieth-century ballroom dance genre slightly similar to the waltz. Both the danza and its cousin the contradanza are sequence dances, performed to a pattern, usually of squares, to...
, and that was the child of the contradanza
Contradanza
The Cuban contradanza was a popular dance music genre of the 19th century.- Origins and Early Development:...
. "De la danza al danzón había un simple paso." (from the danza to the danzón is a simple step) Actually, it was not quite such a simple step. For a start, the danzón was a much slower dance than both the contradanza and the danza; and it allowed for pauses between the different sections of a number. Both these features were welcomed in the tropical climate of Cuba. Perhaps even more significantly, the danzón was a couple dance, though not a moving one like the waltz. The contradanza and danza were both sequence dances involving the whole dance-floor, as were all ballroom dances before the waltz.
The habanera
Habanera (music)
The habanera is a genre of Cuban popular dance music of the 19th century. It is a creolized form which developed from the contradanza. It has a characteristic "Habanera rhythm", and is performed with sung lyrics...
was the established favourite before the danzón came on the scene. It was also a slow dance, and a descendent of the contradanza. The habanera had the advantage of being a sung genre, which the danzón was not until much later. Both genres made use of syncopated creole rhythms; in the danzón it is the cinquillo
Cinquillo
A cinquillo is a typical Cuban/Caribbean rhythmic cell, derived from the contradanza and the danzón. It consists of an eighth, a sixteenth, an eighth, a sixteenth, and an eighth note. Placing this rhythm in a 2/4 measure, it obtains a strongly syncopated character from the sustained note which...
. In retrospect it is often difficult to see why one genre is preferred to another; the quality of compositions and the orchestras which choose to play it must have some influence.
Did Faílde really invent the danzón? The doubt is caused by the work of Manuel Saumell
Manuel Saumell
Manuel Saumell Robredo , was a Cuban composer of the highest importance for his invention and development of genuinely creolized forms of music...
, who anticipated many of the rhythms which came later in the 19th century, and who may be the most important Cuban composer of that century. At length the Cuban government made Faílde the official inventor of the danzón – in 1960, by which time the danzón had become a relic, and its 'child', the chachachá, had taken over.