Bienvenido Granda
Bienvenido Granda, born Rosendo Bienvenido Granda Aguilera (Havana, August 30, 1915 - Mexico City, July 9, 1983), was a Cuban vocalist/musician, singing boleros, son montunos, guarachas and other Cuban rhythms. For sporting a prodigious mustache, he was nicknamed "El bigote que canta" (The mustache that sings) and "El bigote que canta con estilo" (The mustache that sings with style). Biography. Bienvenido Granda was orphaned at six years of age. He discovered his talent for singing various Cuban rhythms and tango as a child when he sang for spare change on buses in Cuba. In 1936, Bienvenido Granda made  his first recordings — a total of eleven songs — with Septeto Nacional de Ignacio Piñeiro. All but one of these tunes were duets. On these recordings, Bienvenido Granda sang with Marcelino "Rapindey" Guerra, Alfredito Valdés and Cheo Marquetti. He was accompanied by the last-named on "Pae pae" and "Efi embemoró", the first Afro-Ñáñigo song recorded. He traveled to Puerto Rico in 1941. The purpose of the trip was to record with the popular group Cuarteto Marcano. Two songs were recorded. Bienvenido Granda made several appearances on Cuban radio stations such as Radio Cadena Azul, Radio Cadena Suaritos, Radio Progreso  and Radio CMQ. This was done as a way of gaining wider exposure. In 1942, Bienvenido Granda became the lead singer with one of the most popular bands of all Cuban/Afro-Cuban bands, the legendary Conjunto Sonora Matancera. Bienvenido Granda performed, recorded and achieved his greatest success with La Sonora Matancera until 1954, the year in which he began his solo career, having left the group after a bitter argument with Rogelio Martínez, its director, over money. "El bigote que canta" wanted to be paid more than his fellow band members even though La Sonora was a cooperative. His  legacy with the band is unmatched as no vocalist recorded more songs with La Sonora Matancera than Bienvenido Granda. He put on vinyl over 200 songs with this group. After leaving Sonora Matancera Bienvenido Granda performed in several Latin American countries. He settled in Mexico City as a result of the Cuban Revolution. Bienvenido Granda sang several of the different musical genres created in Cuba, being especially proficient in the guaracha. He was also a fine bolero singer. Success. These songs, all recorded with the immortal Sonora Matancera, are among his greatest successes: