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Barbarito Diez

Background information
Birth name	Bárbaro Díez Junco
Born	(1910-12-04)December 4, 1910 Bolondrón, Matanzas Province, Cuba
Died	May 6, 1995(1995-05-06) (aged 84) Havana, Cuba
Genres	Danzón
Years active	1935–1990
Formerly of	Antonio María Romeu Isaac Oviedo Guillermo Rubalcaba

Musical artist

Barbarito Díez (December 4, 1910 – May 6, 1995) was a Cuban singer who specialized in danzón. He began his career as the singer for Graciano Gómez and Isaac Oviedo's son group, before joining Antonio María Romeu's orchestra. As the lead vocalist for Romeu's ensemble for 20 years, he established himself as one of the main exponents of the sung danzón. He continued singing with his own charanga, as well as other groups, for another 30 years. He also toured and recorded in Venezuela and Puerto Rico before retiring in the early 1990s, when complications from diabetes prevented him from performing and eventually resulted in his death in 1995. A naturally-gifted tenor, he was known for his sense of rhythm, correct diction and romantic style.

Early life

Bárbaro Díez Junco was born on December 4, 1910 (Día de Santa Barbara), in a sugar cane mill located in the small settlement of Bolondrón in Matanzas Province, as the only child born to Eugenio Díez and Salustiana del Junco. When he was four years old, Díez moved with his parents to Manatí, Oriente Province, where his father worked in another mill for years. The family lived in a batey, where the young Díez attended elementary school and intuitively began to sing the repertoire of songs that Trio Matamoros had created.

Professional career

As a result, Díez established himself as a well-respected, professional performer in his Oriente Province home at the age of fourteen. He then moved to Havana in 1930, in search of better working conditions and remuneration. Even though he formed a successful guitar trio along with Graciano Gómez and Isaac Oviedo a year later, Díez received an invitation from pianist and composer Antonio María Romeu to join his dance band in 1935, where he continued thereafter as its main soloist. After Romeu died in 1955, the orchestra continued playing under the leadership of his son Antonio María Romeu Jr. with Díez as lead singer. Some years later the band was renamed Orquesta de Barbarito Díez.

During his career, Díez toured the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and the United States in concerts and recorded eleven albums of his extensive repertoire of danzón music, well on his way to becoming a household name outside of Cuba. In addition, strengthened by a considerably large and stable fanbase in Venezuela, Díez thanked his audience for their support and offered a collection of diverse Venezuelan music genres in his albums Barbarito Díez canta a Venezuela Volumes 1 & 2, which were released in 1977 and 1980, respectively. He then recorded a handful of Latin American songs backed by the group Rondalla Venezolana in 1985. Three years later, he made his last recording session with the Charanga Típica orchestra directed by Guillermo Rubalcaba.

Late life

In one of his last interviews, Díez left a message for his audience: "I want everyone to know how grateful I am for the love, respect and consideration they have always given me. I say out loud that I have the biggest thrill to see that you still listen with pleasure, so I will sing until I run out of strength to do it."

Barbarito Díez died in 1995 from diabetes-related complications at age 85.

Partial list of recorded songs

A Sancti Spiritus
Alma de roca
Alli donde tú sabes
Amor azul
Amor eterno
Amor inviolado
Ansiedad
Añoranza
Aquella boca
Aquella tarde
Arroyito de mi pueblo
Asómate a la ventana
Aurora de mi amor
Ausencia
Bajo un palmar
Bella zulianita
Boda gris
Brumas del mar
Calina
Canta pajarito
Canto a mi madre adorada
Capullito de alelí
Como arrullo de palmas
Como mi vida gris
Con mentira y realidad
Coro gentil
Creí que eras mía
Cuando me quieras
Cuba y sus misterios
Cuna de Héroes
De París un Caballero
Después
Don Galaor
Dos letras
Dos lindas rosas
Dulce embeleso
El adios
El amor de mi bohío
El erial
El soldado
En el sendero de mi vida
En falso
Enamorada
Entre espumas
Esas no son cubanas
Felíz cumpleaños
Flor de Yumurí
Flores negras
Frenesí
Frío en el alma
Gotas de amor
Guajira y cubana
Habanera, ven
Humo en los ojos
Idolatría
Jamás te acusaré
Juana y José
Junto al palmar del bajío
La carta
La cleptómana
La guinda
La mora
La perla del Edén
La reina
La sitiera
La vida nos llama
La vieja Ramona
Las calles de San Juan
Las flores que me diste
Las perlas de tu boca
Lágrimas negras
Lamento borincano
Linda cubana
Longina
Luna de Margarita
Manantial
Maracaibera
Mares y arenas
Margarita
Martha
Mensaje
Mercedes
Mi canto a Cabaiguán
Mi dulce serenata
Mi pueblo
Mi Santa Bárbara
Mis anhelos
Mírame más
Motivos
Mujer
Mujer merideña
Mujer perjura
Muñeca de cristal
Noche de mar
Novia de Año Nuevo
Nunca
Ojos de sirena
Ojos malvados
Olvidé su nombre
Olvido
Oriente cuna Florida
Palmeras
Panamá viejo
Para que lo oigas
Perla marina
Porqué, corazón
Potpourri de danzones
Presagio
Qué noche tan linda
Que te castigue Dios
Reina del sitio
Reina guajira
Rosa roja
Santa Cecilia
Se fue
Sencillez
Si llego a besarte
Te odio
Te quiero dijiste
Te vieron con él
Todo es para ti
Tu carita de ángel
Tú no comprendes
Tus amargas verdades
Un canto a mi Camaiguán
Un juramento de amor
Una Rosa de Francia
Veinte años
Volverá la alegría
¿Y tú qué has hecho?
Ya es muy tarde
Ya nunca más
Yo reiré cuando tú llores
Yo sé de una mujer

International tours

Dominican Republic

Backed by Antonio María Romeu orchestra (1958)

Mexico

Backed by the Charanga Típica de Conciertos led by Guillermo Rubalcaba (1981; 1985)

Puerto Rico

Backed by Septeto Gloria Mantancera (1933)

United States

Backed by Antonio María Romeu orchestra (1959, New York City; 1960, Miami)

Venezuela

All backed by his orchestra

Poliedro de Caracas (1980)
InterContinental Tamanaco, Caracas (1980)
Caracas, Barquisimeto and Maracay (1981), sharing stage with Orquesta Aragón, Grupo Son 14 de Adalberto Álvarez, and El Trabuco Venezolano led by Alberto Naranjo
Caracas Athenaeum (1984), sharing stage with Pablo Milanés and other Cuban artists

Notes

Many sources incorrectly cite his birth as happening in 1909 in Manatí. In interviews, he always claimed to have been born in 1910 at the San Rafael de Jorrín sugar mill, Bolondrón.

References

^ Orovio, Helio (2004). Cuban Music from A to Z-CL. Duke University Press Books. ISBN 978-0-8223-3186-5.
^ Díaz Ayala, Cristóbal (Fall 2013). "Barbarito Díez" (PDF). Encyclopedic Discography of Cuban Music 1925-1960. Florida International University Libraries. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
Pérez Betancourt, Roberto (2003). "Recordando a Barbarito Díez". El Veraz (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 October 2023.
^ Enciclopedia de Historia y Cultura del Caribe Biography (Spanish).
^ La Jiribilla Interview. LaJiribilla.cu. Retrieved on July 25, 2015.
Barbarito Díez canta a Venezuela Vol. 1. Venezuela en Sonidos. Retrieved on July 23, 2015.
Barbarito Díez canta a Venezuela Vol. 2. Biblioteca Nacional de Venezuela Catálogo Público. Retrieved on July 21, 2015.
Barbarito Díez con La Rondalla Venezolana. Discog.com. Retrieved on July 24, 2015.
Guillermo Rubalcaba, un pilar en el desarrollo del danzón. JornadaUnam.mx. Retrieved on Jul5 25, 2015.
Charanga Típica de Conciertos de Guillermo Rubalcaba – Vivencias. Discog.com. Retrieved on July 25, 2015.
^ Orquesta Antonio María Romeu – Asi Bailaba Cuba Vol. 5
^ Orquesta Antonio María Romeu – Asi Bailaba Cuba Vol. 6
^ Orquesta Antonio María Romeu – Asi Bailaba Cuba Vol. 2
^ Orquesta Antonio María Romeu (Compilation)
^ Barbarito Diez canta a Venezuela Vol. 1
^ Barbarito Diez canta a Venezuela Vol. 2
^ Barbarito Diez con La Rondalla Venezolana
^ Orquesta Antonio María Romeu – Asi Bailaba Cuba Vol. 3
^ Orquesta Antonio María Romeu – Asi Bailaba Cuba Vol. 7
^ Orquesta Antonio María Romeu – Asi Bailaba Cuba Vol. 1
^ Orquesta Antonio María Romeu – Asi Bailaba Cuba Vol. 8
^ Orquesta Antonio María Romeu – Asi Bailaba Cuba Vol. 9

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