Heny Álvarez

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Heny Álvarez ( Genaro Álvarez Doménech ; born September 19, 1929 in Santurce ; † March 31, 2006 ) was a Puerto Rican composer, percussionist and singer.

Àlvarez wanted to be a jockey as a child, then performed as an artist and boxer. He founded a duo with Gilberto Monroig and attended the music class of the Escuela Fedrico Asenjo . In 1948 he went to New York, where after doing some odd jobs in 1950 he became a percussionist and singer with Luis Cruz y sus Marianaxis . He also worked as a bongo and güira player and chorus singer in Armando Sánchez ' Conjunto Son de la Loma and in the Orquesta Oriental Cubana .

In 1956 he became a member of the Orquesta Típica Novel . His first recordings were made with Gilberto Cruz's sextet , to which he belonged for five years. In 1964 he joined Ray Barretto's Charanga Moderna . He recorded an album with Joe Cuba y su Sexteto and performed with the orchestras Charlie Palmieris , Rafael Cortijos and Mongo Santamarias . From the late 1960s and during the 1970s he was a member of the group of the Cuban flautist Lou Pérez .

As a composer Álvarez became known with Hommy / A Latin Opera (based on the musical Who's Tommy by The Who ). She was recorded with Junior González in the title role, Celia Cruz , Cheo Feliciano , Justo Betancourt , Adalberto Santiago , Pete Rodríguez and others. Álvarez himself participated in both the recordings and performances in Carnegie Hall (1973) and the Coliseo Roberto Clemente in Hato Rey as a singer and narrator.

As the musical coordinator of the Museo del Barrio , Álvarez organized performances by musicians such as Machito , Charlie Palmieri and Tito Puente and performed Vejigantes: uno novela musical in 1975 . In the same year he joined the reunited Grupo Folklórico Experimental Nueavayorquino . This released two albums 1975-76, in which Álvarez was involved as a composer and singer of Cinco en uno callejero and Carmen la Ronca .

He returned to Puerto Rico in the 1980s. There he performed with groups such as Sammy Ayalas Bombazzo , Norman Salazars PleniBom and Ángel Maldonados Los Majaderos . From 1988 he was also the administrator of the Plaza de los Saseros . His last project was the salsa opera Eco Divino , which remained unfinished.

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personal data
SURNAME Álvarez, Heny
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Álvarez Doménech, Genaro
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Puerto Rican composer, percussionist and singer
DATE OF BIRTH September 19, 1929
PLACE OF BIRTH Santurce (Puerto Rico)
DATE OF DEATH March 31, 2006