Orestes López
Orestes López (1908-1991) was a Cuban musician and bandleader, often credited with popularizing the musical form Mambo, alongside his brother Israel "Cachao" Lopez.
Lopez was born in Havana, on August 29, 1908. As a child, he studied piano, cello, violin and the flute. At the age of 16, he began playing cello with Pedro San Juan's Philharmonic Orchestra. By the '30s, Lopez was the musical director of three dance orchestras, and was composing songs that were big hits of era. In 1938, Lopez called one of his compositions Mambo which launched a new style that became immensely popular both in Cuba and internationally. Whilst "Cachao" emigrated to the United States to achieve great success, Orestes remained in Cuba. He died in Havana in 1991.[1]
López is also the father of bassist Orlando "Cachaito" López, who gained fame as the ever-present performer for the Buena Vista Social Club.[2]