Categories
20th Century American Cuban

LECUONA, Ernesto

Ernesto Lecuona

Born in Guanabacoa, Aug 7, 1896 
Died in S Cruz de Tenerife, Nov 29, 1963 

  • Lecuona was a child prodigy: he wrote his first song at the age of 11. 
  • Lecuona was a graduate of the National Conservatory in Havana, where he received several awards. 
  • In addition to his career as a composer-pianist specializing in Cuban music, Lecuona toured Europe, the USA, and Latin America with his dance band, Lecuona’s Cuban Boys. 
  • Lecuona spent a portion of his career in New York City, where he wrote music for musicals, radio, and film.1
  • Lecuona is sometimes known as the “Gershwin of Cuba” for his ability to meld pop and classical styles.2

Biography from the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame 

Sources

  1. Aurelio de la Vega, “Lecuona (Casado), Ernesto,” Grove Music Online (2001), accessed June 30, 2021,  https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000016235.
  2. “Ernesto Lecuona,” The Songwriters’ Hall of Fame, accessed June 30, 2021, https://www.songhall.org/profile/Ernesto_Lecuona. 

Pieces