Died On This Date (July 7, 2011) Manuel Galban / Buena Vista Social Club
themusicsover Manuel Galban
January 14, 1931 – July 7, 2011
Manuel Galban was a Grammy winning musician and arranger who is perhaps best remembered for his work with Ry Cooder, Las Zafiros, and as a member of the popular Latin collective, Buena Vista Social Club. Born and raised in Cuba, Galban was still just a child when he began playing guitar in local bands, and when he was 14, he was hired on by Orchestra Villa Blanca for his first professional job. In 1963, he joined the immensely popular group, Las Zafiros, with whom he played for the better part of the next decade. Galban went on to perform with Cuba’s national music ensemble and then Grupo Batey for over 20 years. During the late ’90s, his talents reached an international audience when he performed as part of the Buena Vista Social Club ensemble in Wim Wenders‘ critically acclaimed documentary of the same name. That led to a partnership with Cooder who also participated in the film. In 2001, Galban and Cooder released Mambo Sinuendo which earned the pair a Grammy. Manuel Galban died of cardiac arrest on July 7, 2011. He was 80.
Thanks to Benjie Gordon for the assist
What You Should Own
Rita Guerrero was the lead singer of popular Mexican rock band, Santa Sabina. Co-formed by Guerrero in Mexico City in 1989, the band built a solid following thanks in part to their Gothic twist on progressive rock and jazz as well as Guerrero’s charismatic stage presence. During the late 80s, Guerrero moved from her home in Guadalajara to attend college in Mexico City. A theater student, she enlisted the help of a few local musicians to provide music for a play she had written. They quickly realized they had something special and became an actual band. Over the course of their run, they released seven albums including an MTV Latin Unplugged set. Santa Sabina went on hiatus in 2006 with Guerrero and fellow band mate, Leonel Perez continuing on as a chamber group, Ensamble Galileo. In January of 2010, Guerrero learned she had breast cancer. After a courageous year-long battle, Rita Guerrero succumbed to the cancer on March 11, 2011. She was 47.
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Roberto Cantoral was a Mexican singer-songwriter who, over the course of some 60 professional years, scored several hit records including “El Reloj” and “El Triste.” Many of his songs are considered standards of Spanish language music. As a songwriter, it has been reported that upwards of 1000 artists have covered his songs. That list includes Joan Baez, Linda Ronstadt, Luis Miguel, and Placido Domingo. In later years, he composed music for popular telenovelas. Roberto Cantoral was 75 when he died following a massive heart attack on a flight from Brownsville, Texas to Mexico City. The plane made an emergency landing in Toluca, Mexico where he was pronounced dead.