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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, July 15, 2003

Cuban Musician Dies at 95

Compay Segundo, the wiry, cigar-smoking musician who was nearing 90 when he soared from obscurity to worldwide fame with the "Buena Vista Social Club",' has died in Havana. He was 95.


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Compay Segundo, the wiry, cigar-smoking musician who was nearing 90 when he soared from obscurity to worldwide fame with the "Buena Vista Social Club",' has died in Havana. He was 95.

Compay, who performed in public less than a week before his death, died of kidney failure on Sunday night, his granddaughter, Frances Valeria Repilado, said.

Born Maximo Francisco Repilado Munoz, Company carried traditional Cuban music to the world. He was honoured with a Grammy as part of the "Buena Vista Social Club" in his 90th year and helped draw attention to other ageing but talented Cuban musicians.

Compay set audiences dancing from Havana to Paris with hits such as "Chan Chan", which brought modern appeal to a musical genre that had largely been forgotten even at home in Cuba.

On July 8, he had played briefly at a tribute concert hosted by his sons at Havana's Hotel Nacional, where a concert room is dedicated to him.

Cuban "son" - mixing harder African rhythms with Spanish lyricism - was coming into its own, breaking down discrimination against "black" music and laying the groundwork for modern Cuban music such as salsa.

Compay emerged as a well-known musician in Cuba, playing with Nico Saquito, the Cuarteto Hatuey and his own duo, Los Compadres, until 1953.

His fame grew far wider when he was featured on the hit record "Buena Vista Social Club". The record, which won a 1997 Grammy, was named after a former club in Havana and features traditional Cuban son.

The Hotel Nacional held a three-day celebration in Compay's honor on his 95th birthday last year. He moved a bit slowly and was slightly hard of hearing, but remained notably lucid.

Source: Agencies






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