Segundo saying goodbye to a standing ovation at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, Havana. October 2002

Compay Segundo, drawing in Casa de la Trova, Santiago, Cuba

Segundo playing Chan Chan, Hotel Nacional de Cuba, Havana. October 2002

Compay Segundo (November 18, 1907 – July 13, 2003), was a Cuban musician and songwriter. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 371 KB) Summary The author of this photograph is me, David Shankbone. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 371 KB) Summary The author of this photograph is me, David Shankbone. ... Image File history File links Compay_segundo. ... Image File history File links Compay_segundo. ... , Santiago de Cuba is the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in eastern Cuba. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 511 KB) Summary The author of this photograh is me, David Shankbone. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 511 KB) Summary The author of this photograh is me, David Shankbone. ... November 18 is the 322nd day of the year (323rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar with 43 days remaining. ... 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Insert non-formatted text here July 13 is the 194th day (195th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 171 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A musician is a person who plays or composes music. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ...

Segundo was born Máximo Francisco Repilado Muñoz and brought up in the city of Santiago de Cuba. He became a songwriter and performer, well-known to fans of Cuban music. He was also the inventor of the armónico, a seven-stringed guitar-like instrument. Santiago de Cuba is the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in eastern Cuba. ... Music is an art, entertainment, or other human activity that involves organized and audible sounds and silence. ... An armónico is a guitar-like instrument. ...

In his early years he played the guitar, the clarinet and the bongos. He also played the congas. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Two soprano clarinets: a Bâ™­ clarinet (left) and an A clarinet (right, with no mouthpiece). ... Bongos being played Bongos are a percussion instrument. ... A pair of congas The conga is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum of African origin, probably derived from the Congolese Makuta drums. ...

His curious stage name derives from the fact that he played second voice in a popular duet of the 1950s called Los Compadres (compadre, or compay for short, in Cuba means "baptism brother", but as a colloquialism is used also to designate a good friend). A stage name or a screen name is a pseudonym used by performers (such as actors, athletes, comedians, musicians and clowns). ... Duet may refer to: Duet, musical form Duet, Fox sitcom This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The 1950s was the decade spanning the years 1950 to 1959. ... Baptism in early Christian art. ... A colloquialism is an expression not used in formal speech or writing. ...

However, international fame only came in 1997 with the release of the Buena Vista Social Club album, a hugely successful recording which won several Grammy awards. Compay Segundo appeared in the film of the same title, made subsequently by Wim Wenders. 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Buena Vista Social Club is an album featuring Cuban music. ... Grammy Award statuette The Grammy Awards, presented by the Recording Academy (an association of Americans professionally involved in the recorded music industry) for outstanding achievements in the recording industry, is one of four major music awards shows held annually in the United States (the Billboard Music Awards, the American Music... Buena Vista Social Club (1999) is a documentary film by Wim Wenders about the music of Cuba. ... Wilhelm Ernst (Wim) Wenders (born August 14, 1945) is a German-born film director, author and producer. ...

His most famous composition is "Chan Chan", the opening track on the Buena Vista Social Club album, whose four opening chords are instantly recognizable all over the world. "Chan Chan" was recorded by Segundo himself various times as well as by countless other Latin artists. UK Single Cover for Chan Chan from Buena Vista Social Club. ...

At a fiesta he sang to President Fidel Castro, who took his pulse and joked about his vitality despite his 90-plus years. "Who could have imagined that?" he asked when he found himself at the Vatican City, performing "Chan Chan" before Pope John Paul II. He explained his longevity simply: mutton consommé and a drink of rum. Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born on August 13, 1926) is the current President of Cuba. ... Coat of Arms of Pope John Paul II. The Letter M is for Mary, the mother of Jesus, to whom he held strong devotion Pope John Paul II (Latin: ), born Karol Józef WojtyÅ‚a [1] (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005) reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from... This article is about the animal, sheep; for other meanings of Sheep, see Sheep (disambiguation). ... Caribbean rum, circa 1941 For other uses, see Rum (disambiguation). ...

He predicted that he would live to be 115, but died of kidney failure in Havana, twenty years short of his ambition, and three days before Celia Cruz. Human kidneys viewed from behind with spine removed The kidneys are bean-shaped excretory organs in vertebrates. ... Havana (Spanish in full: Ciudad de La Habana (City of Havana), usually shortened to just La Habana, and formerly named San Cristóbal de la Habana; UN/LOCODE: CU HAV) is the capital of Cuba and, with a population of more than 2. ... Celia Cruz (Úrsula Hilaria Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso) (October 21, 1925 – July 16, 2003) was a Cuban salsa singer who spent most of her career living in New Jersey, and working in the United States and several Latin American countries. ...

Segundo at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, Havana. October 2002

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 633 KB) Summary The photographer of this image is me, David Shankbone. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 633 KB) Summary The photographer of this image is me, David Shankbone. ...

External link

• PBS Interview with Compay