Brass & Winds Musicians – Artists

The trumpeters and flutists whose sound defined the two great Cuban orchestra formats — the charanga (flute) and the conjunto (trumpet).

Two instruments above all others defined the melodic identity of Cuban dance music: the French flute in the charanga, and the trumpet in the conjunto and orquesta. The players here mastered those voices and gave Cuban music much of its distinctive character.

  • Alexander Abreu — Trumpeter, singer, bandleader (1974)
    Alexander Abreu, founder and voice of Havana D'Primera: the central figure of contemporary timba, as trumpeter, singer and arranger.
  • Antonio Arcaño — Flutist, bandleader (1911–1994)
    Antonio Arcaño, leader of Arcaño y sus Maravillas: in the 1940s his charanga was the laboratory where the danzón-mambo was developed.
  • Chocolate Armenteros — Trumpeter (1928–2016)
    One of the great trumpeters of son: Chocolate Armenteros played with Arsenio Rodríguez and Beny Moré, and in New York with Machito, Eddie Palmieri, Cachao and the…
  • Félix Chapottín — Trumpeter (1907–1983)
    The definitive trumpet voice of the son septeto era — Félix Chapottín defined the role of the trumpet in Cuban popular music with a powerful tone and rhythmic directness…
  • José Luis Cortés — Flutist, composer, bandleader (1951–2022)
    José Luis "El Tosco" Cortés, founder of NG La Banda and chief architect of timba: songo, funk, hip-hop and Afro-Cuban ritual music in one sound.
  • Mario Bauzá — Trumpeter, saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger (1911–1993)
    Mario Bauzá (1911–1993), Cuban trumpeter, saxophonist and arranger: musical director of Machito and his Afro-Cubans and a pioneer of Afro-Cuban jazz.
  • Maraca Valle — Flutist, arranger, composer, bandleader (1966)
    Orlando "Maraca" Valle (1966), Cuban flutist and bandleader: six years in Irakere, then Maraca & Otra Visión and a Grammy nomination for Tremenda rumba.
  • Richard Egües — Flutist, composer (1923–2006)
    Richard Egües, the flute of Orquesta Aragón: the most celebrated flutist in Cuban popular music and a leading composer of the cha-cha-chá era.