HAVANA, Cuba.- In the El Caney neighborhood, in eastern Cuba, a child sang sones and played with a tres made of yagua. His name was Lorenzo Hierrezuelo, who years later would be known as “Compay Primo.”
At barely 13 years old, in 1920, he went to Santiago de Cuba to look for a life. There he sang in bars, cafes and private parties. Together with the Santiago singers Julio and Edelmiro, he was part of the Trío Oriente, with which they traveled to Havana, where the ensemble dissolved due to the decision of the two friends to return to Santiago.
Lorenzo stayed in the capital. He was part of the Trío Lírico Cubano, of the Hatuey Quartet, and for several years he remained in the troubadour Justa García’s group as second voice and accompanying guitarist.
In 1937 he joined María Teresa Vera in a memorable duo that remained active for twenty-five years. They recorded numerous endearing Cuban albums with the most select music of that time: sones, guarachas, boleros.
In 1942, along with the work he was doing with the troubadour, he joined the guitarist and singer Francisco Repilado, better known as “Compay Segundo” for carrying the second voice during the performances. Henceforth, Lorenzo Hierrezuelo, who assumed the first voice, would be known as “Compay Primo” in the legendary duo “Los Compadres”.
The pairing performed on various national and foreign stages. They recorded albums with songs by both of them and for many years their popularity grew. When Francisco Repilado left the duo due to irreconcilable disagreements, Reinaldo Hierrezuelo, Lorenzo’s brother, took his place.
Songs like “Walk and come to the hill”, “Go down and cover the pot”, “With the spur”, or the well-known “Sarandonga”, are among the most outstanding written by Lorenzo Hierrezuelo, who died in Havana on the 16th November 1993.
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