Julio Brito


Julio Brito was a Cuban musician, composer, orchestra conductor and singer. He achieved great popularity both in his native Cuba and internationally, thanks to compositions such as the guajira "El amor de mi bohío" or the world famous bolero "Mira que eres linda", interpreted by numerous artists around the world, even today. His way of describing the Cuban landscapes and his very careful lyrics earned him the nickname of "The melodic painter of Cuba".

Biography

Julio Brito was born in Havana on January 21, 1908. From his earliest childhood he showed great aptitude for music.
He studied music with Pedro Sanjuán, a famous Spanish musician and teacher, who gave him an excellent musical education.
In 1924, at the age of 16, he joined Don Azpiazu's orchestra as a saxophonist, a very successful orchestra on the island of Cuba.
In addition to the saxophone, he learned to play the guitar, drums, vibraphone, piano and studied conducting, an art in which he remained for most of his musical life.
Julio also learned to sing professionally, which allowed him to perform his compositions himself. He recorded his songs for different record labels, among others RCA Victor. Some recordings for RCA were made on the CMQ channel in Havana, in the program "Buenas noches, mi amor", where he performed.
Maestro Brito was one of the first conductors of Cuban radio, which began broadcasting in 1922, performing on PWX and conducting for RHC-Cadena Azul, specifically for CMBF Radio Universal, which was located at 159 Prado Street in Havana.
He also conducted his orchestra at nightclubs in Havana, such as the "Cabaret Parisien" of the Hotel Nacional, the Casino Nacional, the Casino de La Playa, the Casablanca and the Encanto Theater.
In the United States, he performed in Hollywood for Max Factor.
In the 1940s he was President of the Society of Authors of Cuba and of the National Federation of Authors of Cuba.

The Siboney Orchestra

In the early 1930s, together with his brother, musician and orchestra conductor Alfredo Brito, Julio Brito founded and formed part of the Siboney Orchestra, in which he participated as saxophonist, drummer, guitarist and singer.
The Siboney Orchestra made the first broadcast of popular dance music from radio station CMC, broadcast by the BBC chain of stations in London and by WEAF in New York City on November 14, 1931.
In 1932 the Siboney Orchestra toured Europe, performing in Spain, France and Portugal in the company of the Trio Matamoros, the Spanish dancer "Granito de Sal" and the rumbera Yolanda González. On August 8, 1932 they embarked for Spain aboard the steamship "Reina del Pacífico". The news of the Diario de la Marina highlighted on the eve of their departure that "...they will disembark in Santander and tour the main cities of that Republic".
In Spain the debut took place at the Salón Victoria, in Santander, on Sunday, August 21, 1932. The newspaper El Cantábrico, narrates the impact of the so-called Orquesta Típica Siboney, the Trío Matamoros and the dancers, Yolanda González and the Spanish "Granito de Sal". They also performed at the Teatro Iris, in Ávila, where the press described the Siboney and the Trío Matamoros as "among the best in their genre". In Oviedo, they perform at the Teatro Novedades. In September 1932 they performed at the Circo Price, in Madrid.
During this tour Julio joined the SGAE and recorded some songs with his voice, together with the Siboney Orchestra, for the Spanish label Regal. In November 1932, the Madrid newspaper La Libertad announces two records by Alfredo Brito and the Siboney Orchestra with the Regal label: DK8.714 "En el silencio de la noche" and "La dichosa suegra" and DK 8.715 "Adiós chamaquita" and "El panquelero".
In France they performed at the Montmartre, the Ambassador and the Empire. They perform with Maurice Chevalier.
The Siboney Orchestra was an immediate success. It was one of the first Cuban orchestras to triumph in the Old Continent.

Julio Brito "The melodic painter of Cuba"

During the decades from 1920 to 1940, Julio developed an intense activity as a composer, creating songs that would become very popular all over the world.
His first known songs were "Tus lágrimas" and "Florecita". In 1931, his song "Ilusión china" made him very popular.
Somewhat later, in the 1930s, he composed "Mira que eres linda", a classic bolero recorded by great interpreters, even today.
Some performers who have recorded versions of this bolero by Julio Brito: Pedro Vargas, Antonio Machín, Raphael, Alfredo Sadel, Virginia Maestro, Carlos Sadness, Najwa Nimri, etc.
From this period are also his creations: “Acurrurrucadita”, “Trigueñita”, “Flor de ausencia”, "Si yo pudiera hablarte" or "Cuando te acuerdes de mí", song that Tito Gómez interpreted at the age of 17, in his radio debut in "La Corte Suprema del Arte", Cuban radio contest destined to the discovery of new talents of which he would turn out to be winner.
Julio Brito is known as “The melodic painter of Cuba”, for having been one of the musical authors who most beautifully described the Cuban countryside in his songs. He was the creator of the "guajira de salón", providing peasant music with magnificent orchestrations.
Among the many compositions he dedicated to the Cuban countryside are “Rinconcito criollo”, “Serenata guajira”, “Allá en mi finquita”, “Oye mi guitarra”, “Amor Siboney”, and what would become one of his most famous creations: “El amor de mi bohío", which Julio premiered in 1937 at the Eden Concert cabaret in Havana.
The great success achieved by this guajira by Julio Brito is reflected in the words of René Cabel, in an interview conducted by Don Galaor for Bohemia magazine, on June 9, 1940
Question:
Answer:
Some performers who have recorded versions of "El amor de mi bohío": Pedro Vargas, Guillermo Portabales, Juan Legido, Trío Matamoros, Tito Gómez with the Orquesta Riverside, Los Panchos, Xiomara Alfaro, Omara Portuondo, Tito Puente, Olga Guillot, Oscar Chávez, Barbarito Diez with the Antonio María Romeu's Orchestra, Jonah Jones.

Music for movies

Julio Brito composed music for several films. Among them it is worth mentioning:
  • "Tam, Tam o El origen de la Rumba", in which he can be seen as a singer of the Siboney Orchestra, around minute 00:03:57 of the film. Note: After a private screening at the Fausto theater, Germinal Barral wrote in Bohemia: “Tam, Tam is in cinematography what the poem is in literature”.
  • "It's a Date". Song “It happened in Kaloha". Lyrics in Spanish by Julio Brito.
  • "Balalaika". Song "At the Balalaika". Lyrics in Spanish by Julio Brito.
  • "Irene". Song "Alice blue gown". Lyrics in Spanish by Julio Brito.
  • "Embrujo antillano", where Blanquita Amaro y María Antonieta Pons performed his song "¡Ay, cómo no!" as a duet, which can be heard at around minute 01:32:00 of footage.
  • "El amor de mi bohío", film written and directed by Juan Orol, inspired by the popular love ballad created by Julio Brito. The song plays as the opening theme of the film, while the credits roll.
  • "Una mujer de Oriente". In this film, among other compositions by Julio Brito, you can hear his song "Evocación al mar", performed by Rosa Carmina.
  • "El campeón ciclista". This Mexican film, uses "El amor de mi bohío" as part of the soundtrack. At approximately minute 00:57:29 a fragment of the song can be heard. It is relevant to note that the scriptwriter uses "El amor de mi bohío" to identify the Cuban cycling team, which illustrates to what extent Julio Brito's creation is associated worldwide with the image of his native island.

    Radio and television scripts

Julio Brito also wrote scripts for television and radio.

Discography

Some performers who have recorded versions of his songs:

Acurrucadita

Pending data: Song creation is on record, but recording data is missing.

Evocación al mar

Pending data: Song creation is on record, but recording data is missing.

Guajeito

Mora
  • Julio Brito – Arrangement: Alfredo Brito  
Oración faunesca
  • Julio Brito – Arrangement: Alfredo Brito

    Oye mi guitarra

  • Rita Mª Rivero

    Óyeme André

  • Pepe "Joe Moro" and his Orquesta
  • Bienvenido Granda and La Sonora Matancera

    Pajarito carpintero

  • Johnny Rodríguez and his Orquesta Stork Club
  • Ramón Armengod
  • Dúo Primavera – María Ciérvide and Georgina du Bouchet with the Conjunto Fernando Mulens
  • Cuarteto Vocal Orpheus

    Para ti viviré

Pending data: Song creation is on record, but recording data is missing.

Qué linda eres tú

  • Felo Bergaza and Miguel De Gonzalo
  • Trío Urquiza
  • Trío Guamaní

    Rinconcito criollo

  • Julio Brito
  • Pedro Vargas with the Alfredo Brito Orchestra
  • Hermanas Águila
  • Juanito Sanabria

    Rumbalero

  • Miguel de Gonzalo with the Julio Gutiérrez Orchestra

    Serenata guajira

  • Don Arres with Noro Morales and his Orchestra
  • Salvador García and Noe Fajardo

    Si yo pudiera hablarte

  • Panchito Riset
  • Juan Arvizu
  • Orquesta Pedro Vía
  • Marimba Pan-Americana
  • Lazaro Miguel
  • Orlando Vallejo

    Tan solo recordar

  • René Cabel and the Alfredo Brito Orchestra

    Te quiero tanto

  • René Cabel and Rafael Hernandez with Alfredo Brito's Siboney Orchestra

    Trigueñita

  • Trio Matamoros
  • Julio Brito – Arrangement: Alfredo Brito
  • Cuarteto Machín
  • Chiquita Serrano, Oscar Calle and Firmín Jova with the Oscar Calle Orchestre Cubain
  • Pedro Berríos and Enrique Bryón Cuban Orchestra
  • Don Barreto Et Son Orchestre Cubain
  • Alfredo Brito and his Orquesta Siboney
  • Pérez Prado and Carlos Molina
  • Trio Taicuba
  • Aaron Gonzalez Orquesta

    Tus lágrimas

  • Nena Brito and Julio Brito with Alfredo Brito's Siboney Orchestra –

    Yo odiarte quisiera

  • Miguel de Gonzalo with the Julio Gutiérrez Orchestra