Benny Moré

'Bartolomé Maximiliano Moré Benítez (Cienfuegos, 1919-La Habana, 1963), or simply el Benny, also famous under the nick of El Bárbaro del Ritmo or El Sonero Mayor, is one of the greatest singers, composers and orchestral directors tackling popular music in Cuba and the entire world, who has become exceptional artist for great multitudes holding universal appraisal.

With his Banda Gigante, Benny mazimized his skills and developed his huge and former technical-musical experience. In this empiric way, he achieved the organization of the orchestra's musical repertoire; the musical history holds a large number of anecdotes about how the innates qualities he possessed allowed him to succeed every confrontation with other already famous musicians. About his irreverent personality have been told various legends to exacerbate the public's attention towards this luminary and not only for musical reasons. On the other hand is well-known how he exercised the sponsorship respecting other novel groups and ensembles and their further success.

As composer, the Bárbaro del Ritmo has bequeath really jewels in the genres he approached. He owned a huge repertoire masterfully entwining heritage and contemporaneity. However, his best merits are related to his extraordinary talent as singer, present not only at his own works but also in many works from other authors he undoubtely exalted. Benny also showed a unique way of perfromance at scene, who set rule for other interpreters. He leaded the orchestra while singing making different corporal movements and dancing steps, underscoring his sombrero and baston.