José Curbelo

By Max Salazar – June-July 1997

José Curbelo

The following interview got printed on the popular Latin Beat Magazine in 1997
February 18, 1917 - September 21, 2012

Spanish Version Here

Respecto

In 1959, the "business as usual" attitude of New York City's Latin music world changed when bandleader José Curbelo disbanded and founded the Alpha Artists, a booking agency of Latin music aggregations. What happened the following twenty years is commendable or despicable depending on whom you speak to.

Prior to 1959, every Latin band had a manager – a band representative who would negotiate with club owners the amount of money the group would earn for an evening. The bands were at the mercy of ballroom proprietors, consequently, if a band wanted a gig, it would have to agree to the less-than-musician's-union-scale demanded, or not work at all.

In 1958, pianist/bandleader Charlie Palmieri directed a quintet which featured Johnny Pacheco on flute at the International Casino. The quintet was performing five hours a night for $180. When Curbelo offered Palmieri $200 for two hours work, Palmieri became the first of many Latin music artists to sign a three-year contract with Alpha Artists. Shortly thereafter, every music group of importance, including Tito Puente, Machito, Tito Rodríguez, La Playa Sextet, Pete Terrace, Orlando Marin, Ray Barretto, Noro Morales, Vicentico Valdés and Orquesta Broadway, had Curbelo representing them. The status quo of club owners of "take it or leave it" soon ended. They either agreed to Curbelo's demands or they wouldn't have any of the prominent bands. With Curbelo's help, musicians were now earning more money for one evening than ever before.

By the mid-60s, when the boogaloo era was flourishing, Curbelo decided to stage dances to increase his cash flow and operate his agency. The young boogaloo bandleaders were hired and paid less than established bands even though the boogaloo was the magnet that packed dance halls.

In 1969, the boogaloo bandleaders decided to band together and demand top billing and same pay as established orchestra leaders, given that they were the drawing attraction. They rebelled against Curbelo and left Alpha Artists. Before 1969 ended, not one boogaloo was aired on any of New York City's Latin music stations, and the boogaloo era was relegated to history. When questioned about his role during the boogaloo mania of the late '60s, Curbelo said, "I started promoting dances and included groups which specialized in boogaloo; the boogaloo bandleaders turned on me; they wanted more money and billing over bands like Tito Puente. This confrontation was bad for business. As a dance promoter, I hired bands for the lowest possible prices; as an agent, I always tried to get the highest price possible; in doing both, I hurt the boogaloo bands which should have been my first concern. When I realized I did them wrong, I stopped staging dances and booked bands only. I was going to make it up to them, when all of a sudden, the boogaloo had died out."

Curbelo has been vilified by a few musicians for his belief that Tito Puente is Latin music's greatest musician, and for allowing Puente to receive the best gigs and top dollar. Curbelo made sure that between 1960 and 1971 Puente received top billing over every artist except Celia Cruz. He was like a father protecting his son from harm. Curbelo has been the subject of many discussions and I recall what my mentor, Machito Grillo, once told me. "Curbelo is the type of person you want representing you, he fights like a savage animal until he gets you what you've asked him for."

Over the years, I have many opinions about Curbelo, and have most agreed with the publisher of Latin New York magazine who printed in the September, 1978 issue:

Highly successful men are either loved or hated; José Curbelo has been highly successful in music, both as a performer and a businessman. Many promoters have resented him through the years. His crime: demanding respect and top dollar for the talent he represented. In a business filled with small time hustlers, habitually mounting promotions on con jobs, and bad checks, Curbelo was a power to reckon with – even more powerful than the musicians' union. The mentality of promoters has always been to pay talent as little as possible, while lining their pockets with maximum profit. While the musicians' union couldn't stop a promoter from underpaying bands (or not at all), José was able to literally freeze top talent until a promoter made good his debts. At one time he almost had every major attraction under contract. While most people identify the title "King of Latin Music" with Tito Puente, few realize who is the power behind the throne... the person is José Curbelo. Although Puente has fought with all his musical genius and drive to retain his title, it was Curbelo behind the scene, wheeling and dealing to secure it. As a booking agent, Curbelo ruled with an iron hand, demanding top billing for Puente on every poster and advertisement, creating an image and demanding top dollar for his talent. Throughout his professional career, "José Curbelo has been and continues to be a fierce competitor, a fighter, a doer, a gentleman in the Spanish tradition who commands 'Respeto'." – Izzy Sanabria.

José Curbelo was destined to be a musician from the day he was born in 1919. From the time he became alert to the world around him, he heard music and stories about "Los Bravos de Cuba" (Cuba's best musicians).

In 1898, his grandfather joined the Americans fighting in Cuba during the Spanish American War. After the war ended, he married, relocated to the United States where his wife gave birth to a son, José's father. José was born in Cuba and registered at the American consulate as an American of a Cuban mother and American father. The most popular musicians in Cuba at this time were flutist El Morro, Panchito Flauta Mágica, flutist Alfredo Brito, pianist Antonio María Romeu, flutist Belasario López and vocalist Paulina Álvarez (who directed her charanga). Fully indoctrinated by his musical environment, José began his studies of piano and composition under the tutoring of Pedro Menendez.

A few years later, this child prodigy enrolled at the Molinas Conservatory from which he graduated at age 15. Thereafter, he gained experience with the orchestras of Los Hermanos LeBartard, flutist-composer Gilberto Valdés, and Orquesta Havana Riverside before leaving Cuba for New York City on May 17, 1939.

"The first thing I did," said Curbelo, "was to get a musicians card so I could work; after I paid for it, I was told that a union regulation prevented me from working until after three months. My first job was at La Martinique at 57th Street & 6th Avenue. Months later in December I was at the union hall when I met a 16 year old musician named Ernesto "Tito" Puente. We were hired for the same gig and it was then I noticed what a great drummer he was. That same week I was offered a job at Miami's Book Club. I recommended Tito for the drummer's spot; Tito accepted and we headed for Miami in my car. We roomed in a bungalow for $5.00 a week. Our septet played Latin, American pop, waltzes, and fox trots. After three months we returned to New York. Tito went his way, I went mine."

Curbelo went on to perform with the orchestras of Xavier Cugat, Juancito Sanabria and Oscar De La Hoya before organizing his 9-piece group in 1942. His orchestra, along with Machito and the Afro Cubans, supplied music for La Conga Club's diners and dancers.

At this time, the bands of Xavier Cugat, Anselmo Sacassas, Noro Morales and Machito earned twice as much as other Latin bands even though their repertoire at the downtown clubs consisted of bland Americanized Latin tunes. Curbelo followed suit and played his bland charts at the Havana Madrid, Zanzibar, Latin Quarter and Catskill resorts. He signed with RCA Víctor and his recordings were melodic, reeked with great piano solos and lacked the typical Cuban feel. One of his best sellers was a 1947 recording of Managua Nicaragua, which was on the popular "Hit Parade" radio show for weeks.

Before 1942 ended, the Curbelo image began to change from bland to fiery Cuban rumbas. After all, he had to compete with Machito's Nague, Chacumbele and La Paella. The true Curbelo sound emerged when he cut loose with piano montunos. Curbelo, as well as Sacassas and Noro Morales, learned that non-Hispanics preferred the Afro-Cuban sound much more than the watered-down Latin American pop sound. His arousing rumbas were mentioned by the columnists of New York dailies.

On a few occasions, Curbelo's face appeared in newspapers with stories about his love affairs with a few of society's gorgeous ladies. By 1946, the Curbelo orchestra was among Latin music's top ten orchestras and a pioneer of the then developing Latin New York sound. His recordings for Coda Records: Llora, Tu Comé Pellejo, Canelina and Que No, Que No, featured vocalist Tito Rodríguez, who in 1962 during a musicians' grievance was unable to prove Curbelo had a monopoly on New York's Latin music industry.

"Let's set the record straight," said Curbelo, during this interview in 1977 at his office, then located at 53rd St. and Broadway. "I never resented or tried to hurt Tito Rodríguez. I respected him as a man and a great musician. He had this thing about Tito Puente, he was jealous of him and wanted billing over Puente. I did not agree to that since Tito Puente is a composer, a music arranger, a record producer and plays several instruments. What angered me most was his lack of respect of Tito's music credentials. Yes, I protected Tito Puente, the same way I protected everyone under contract to me, and if you want to know why Puente got the best gigs or top dollar, just listen to his recordings and then you'll know why."

The 1946 and '47 Curbelo RCA recordings have the two Tito's as Curbelo sidemen. In 1949, Tito Puente and vocalist Vicentico Valdés became overnight sensations with the Curbelo-Bobby Escoto composition of Abaniquito. In 1952, Tico Records recorded two of Curbelo's most arousing mambos, Paula and El Jibarito. Then in the mid '50s, Curbelo's group included conguero Sabu Martínez, trombonist/vibra harpist Jack Hitchcock, tenor saxophonist Al Cohn, timbalero Jimmy Santiago, and Latin music's best vocalists, the female Mechita, along with Bobby Escoto, Gilberto Monroig, Santitos Colón, Mon Rivera, Tony Molina and Willie Torres.

Curbelo's Fiesta recordings of Cha Cha Cha in Blue, Que Se Funan, and La Familia were in every jukebox in Hispanic communities across the United States. In 1971, he left the New York scene for a career in Miami real state.

He returned in 1976, signed all of the charangas on the scene; included special attractions like La Lupe, Santos Colón, Vitin Avilés, Linda Leyda, and the up-and-coming trumpet conjunto of Willie Millan and Saoco. By the beginning of the '80s, new powers emerged to control the New York Latin music world. At the moment, José Curbelo lives in Miami. He has accomplished much in life, but what he is most proud of, is how he improved the Latin musician's livelihood and got them the respect they deserved.

- Article archived at Latin Jazz Alive

Spanish Version Here

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Carlos Velásquez

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