05.04.19: Los Ahijados – Corazon de Acero

Good day dear blog followers, listeners, readers ¡y todos los amantes de la musica Cubana!

Today we have a classic Son composition performed by a band from the Dominican Republic, Los Ahijados.

Los Ahijados is a band formed during the late 1950’s by brothers Cuco and Martin Valoy from Mano Guayabo, a town near the capital of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, inspired by the Cuban Duo Los Compadres.
Although sons of a carpenter, Cuco studied music at El Conservatorio Nacional de Musica de la Republica, learning to sing and play several instruments.

With the embargo on Cuba blocking most music and musicians from going in or out of the island, a gap in the production of Son music remained, with many fans of the traditional Cuban music losing access.
This gap was filled by Los Ahijados, who enjoyed much success and fame throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s.

As the “Salsa” fashion came around the early 1970’s so did Cuco not miss this shift, leaving the band and forming his own group, “los virtuosos”, effectively ending Los Ahijados.
In the years to come, the band would continue performing locally, but would never reach the success it had during it’s peak years.
Cuco, on the other hand, would go to become one of the most influential, productive and well known figures in the Dominican music industry (as a DJ, producer, radio broadcaster and arranger, besides being a singer and musician playing guitars, bass, piano and various percussive instruments), as well as a “salsa” star with compositions such as “Juliana”.

In recent years the band reunited, performing locally and internationally yet again!

The song for us to enjoy today is an original Son tradicional composition called “Corazon de Acero”, coming from the 7th album of Los Ahijados, released during the 1960’s.
And always remember… ¡sigue disfrutando la musica Cubana!

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