by Antonio Mejías-Rentas
Israel López Cachao
‘CACHAO’ DIES: Cuban musician Israel “Cachao” López, a co-creator of the mambo whose career flourished as an exile in the United States, died last week. He was 89. According to the musician’s manager, Omer Pardillo, Cachao died early in the morning of March 22 in a Coral Gables, Fla., hospital, of renal failure.
Born in Havana in 1918 to a family of musicians, he was a classically trained bassist who began perfomming as a teenager. He also composed songs for popular bands and orchestras and in the 1 930s he and his brother Orestes created the mambo as a variation of the danzón, a slow, danceable style.
Cachao left Communist Cuba in 1962 and after a short period in Spain moved to New York, where he soon began performing with the top Latin jazz musicians of the era. He moved to Miami in the 1 980s and in spite of his talent and popularity, fell into near obscurity until he caught the attention of actor Andy García. The 1993 documentary Cachao… Como su ritmo no hay dos, produced by García, sparked new interest in the then septuagenarian musician.
Cachao went on to release several Grammy winning albums – produced by Garcia and fellow Cuban-American booster, Emilio Estefan, Jr.—and continued performing well into his late 80’s. Last year he performed at a Miami tribute following the death of Cuban trombonist Generoso Jiménez.
In 2000 he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
“Cachao is our musical father. He is revered by all who have come in contact with him and his music, Garcia said in a statement. “Maestro… you have been my teacher, and you took me in like a son. So l will continue to rejoice with your music and carry our traditions wherever I go, in your honor”.
Details of the funeral to take place this week are to be announced at a press conference scheduled for March 24 in Miami.
BABIES DEBUT: Marc Anthony changes diapers and Jennifer López has lost most of the gained weight, according to an interview accompanying a twelve-page photo spread in this week’s issue of People, with exclusive pictures of the couple’s newborn twins.
Max and Emme, along with their famous mom, are on the cover of the magazine which hit newsstands March 21.The couple employs two nurses and two 4assistants to help out with the children, according to the magazine, which has not said how much it paid for the exclusive photo session. According to published reporls, the record-breaking figure could be as high as $6 million.
