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An encounter with The Muñequitos Keenly committed to provide our readers with information to get acquainted with this band, Caribbean Tourist Excellencies magazine interviewed Diosdado Ramos Cruz, the orchestra's leader, a man of humble background who's pretty aware of his responsibility at the helm of a musical group that leaves its footprint in every stage. Mr. Cruz recounts the band's origin: “Some friends from La Marina neighborhood got together and decided to found a guaguanco group in Matanzas. Shortly after that, the Puchito label recorded a couple of songs -Los Beodos and Esto Es Lo Ultimo De Los Muñequitos. The single was a blockbuster and from that moment on the public nicknamed them The Muñequitos, for the tune's last two words.”

Out of that bunch of pals that decided to make their musical dreams come true and give props to their orishas through their music back on October 9, 1952, Esteban “Chacha” Bacallao is the only survivor. The other original musicians –including quasi-mystical “Saldiguera” and “Virulilla”- have all passed away. Chacha played quinto in the recording of La Rumba Soy Yo, a CD that grabbed a Grammy award in 2001. However, the group has had new members coming in all the time.

Six hoofers, four percussionists, six singers and the leader of the band put on a show loved by the public and highly praised by critics in Spain, Brazil, England, Italy, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Germany, Mexico, Colombia and the U.S. among other nations. The group will embark on its 11th tour around the United States next July 25.

Mr. Ramos speaks of the preference for the band up in the U.S.: “The point is that, besides concerts, we also teach percussion, singing and dancing in colleges. They're greatly inclined to folkloric teaching up there. Here at the University of Matanzas, we welcome students from the United States, Mexico, England, Japan and Asia in general, who come here to take those courses.”

The songs The legend-packed Yoruba and Abakua shrines make up the largest chunk of The Muñequitos' tunes, some of them excerpted and others sung in full. Mr. Ramos says “we've also tried out hand at bolero, bomby-plena and other rhythms, but all of them with innovations that eventually lead to rumba.”

Projects Among its short-term projects, the band is planning to cut a couple of CDs with the Bis Music recording label; to launch out a tour in Spain next September and another in Mexico come November; to put on two brand-new shows, one featuring the entire Yoruba shrine sprinkled with rumba variants, plus scores of other activities on the island nation as part of the festivities for the orchestra's 50th birthday.

A long and successful life When artistic manifestations count on authenticity and esthetic values as two of their attributes, they appear to be long-lived. That's why we augur a mighty long life for a band whose songs provide a harmonic blend of the nation's cultural roots and the contemporary.

Some of the band's most outstanding awards: -Award winners of the annual Rumba Festivals held in Matanzas. -Award winners of the Varadero Song Festival. -Performance awards in Bogota and Costa Rica. -The band was presented with the Key to Washington. -A recognition at the University of Los Angeles. -Award winners of Santiago de Cuba's Caribbean Festival. -Award for their participation in playing “The World's Longest Son.”