Luis Marquetti

Luis Marquetti
Luis Marquetti
Birth name	Luis Marquetti Marquetti
Born	August 24, 1901, Alquizar, Cuba
Died	July 30, 1991 (aged 89); Alquizar, Cuba
Genres	Bolero
Occupation	Composer
Years active	1940s–1960s

Luis Marquetti (August 24, 1901 - July 30, 1991) was a Cuban songwriter and composer. He was born in the town of Alquízar.

Among his well-known boleros are Allí donde tú sabes and Deuda.

Career

Born Luis Marquetti Marquetti, he was one of the great composers of the bolero, along such contemporaries as Orlando de la Rosa, Pedro Junco, René Touzet, Mario Fernández Porta^[usurped], Isolina Carrillo, Osvaldo Farrés, Felo Bergaza, Adolfo Guzmán and Juan Bruno Tarraza.

Marquetti was the author of the hit song Deuda, popularized by a variety of musicians within and outside of Cuba.

He reached public notice through the voice of Pedro Vargas who contracted to record Deuda for RCA Víctor in New York.

Between 1946 and 1957 he had more than 30 of his works performed by over 100 artists. On the radio in Cuba his hits were performed by Sonora Matancera, Daniel Santos, Celia Cruz, Leo Marini, Bobby Capó, Celio González and Vicentico Valdés. In the 1950s, as recorded popular music gained an audience through the sale of 45 rpms, Marquetti's work spread throughout the island. In 1984 the recording firm Areíto (EGREM) put out a compilation of his previous recordings as Un Nuevo Corazón. His music was played on Cuban television, especially during the 1980s. His songs were used for film scores in Cuban and Mexican movies from the 1950s to the 1990s. His work also has appeared on the Cuban ballet.

In May 1952 Puerto Rican singer/composer Bobby Capó broke discriminatory policies imposed by CMQ, the most important network in the country at the time, which refused to promulgate Marquetti's work due to the color of his skin. When Capó included Marquetti's Deuda in recordings he was making in New York, a representative of the network brought up the problem, but Capó refused to exclude said bolero. The song was then included, but not officially listed. Further protest from Capó and others brought enough pressure to bear that Deuda was in the end properly included in the program.

In recent years Deuda has been recorded by Cheo Feliciano and, revising a version by Arsenio Rodriguez, was included in the Buena Vista Social Club album, sung by Ibrahim Ferrer.

Catalog

A ti, madrecita mía, 1941
A ti que te pasa, 1956
Allí donde tú sabes, 1948
Alquízar, 1992
Alma de azúcar, 1941
Amor en Navidad, 1957
Amor que malo eres, 1950
Aquí entre nosotros, 1945
Así te besaré, 1946
Así no vengas, 1947
Boletera, 1951
Cada segundo te alejas más, 1992
Caminito del abismo, 1954
Cañaveral, 1950
Con quien es, 1943
Cualquiera se equivoca, 1950
Cuba en mí, 1947
Cuenta nueva, 1950
De mis noches te reservo la mejor, 1992
De ti la vida, 1943
Debemos decidir, 1955
Denúncieme señora, 1952
Desastre, 1954
Desde mi carreta, 1942
Deuda, 1945
El momento que vivimos, 1947
En una frase, 1943
Enséñame a deletrear, 1941
Entre espumas, 1946
Esta noche a las diez, 1943
Este anochecer, 1966
Este desengaño, 1947
Fue realidad, 1949
Hoy que la luna te regala su presencia, 1981
Iba a suceder, 1947
Iguales, 1946
La quinta parte, 1947
La verdad de mi canción, 1992
Las Américas Unidas, 1941
Las cosas de mi tierra, 1942
Llegaste primavera, 1967
Llevarás la marca, 1947
Lo que eres tú, 1942
Me robaste la vida, 1947
Mi negrona, 1941
Mírame de frente, 1956
No es mucho, 1964
No me avergüenza, 1954
No me culpes, 1948
No te vayas, 1941
Nuestro problema, 1956
Pacté con Dios, 1953
Plazos Traicioneros, 1953
Porfiado corazón, 1951
Precaución, 1948
Promesas de un campesino, 1946
Rectifiquemos, 1955
Robaré tu propio corazón, 1992
Sabor de conga, 1941
Si te lo digo, 1941
Sigue tu canto, 1941
Son de maíz, 1941

References

Luis Marquetti: Gigante del Bolero. 2ª Edición del Author Luis César Núñez.
Por las calles de su pueblo, El Habanero, 2000