Henry Fiol

Henry Fiol
Born (1947-01-16) January 16, 1947 (age 77)
Manhattan, New York, United States
GenresSon cubano, guajira
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter, arranger, bandleader, producer, painter
InstrumentVoice
Years active1969–present
LabelsMericana, SAR, Salsoul, Corazón, El Abuelo, Earthworks, Palacio Rodven, Kubaney, Fonocaribe

Henry Fiol (born January 16, 1947)[1] is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader and painter.[2][3] He is known for his traditional approach to son cubano and other Cuban music styles, and he is considered a "cult favorite" among Latin music fans.[3]

Fiol was born in Manhattan, New York, United States,[1] to an Italian-American mother and a Puerto Rican father.[2] He studied fine arts at Hunter College and became a teacher before starting his career as a musician in the 1969.[3] In 1974, he co-founded, along with William Millán, a Cuban-style conjunto called Saoco, recording two albums with the group, Siempre seré guajiro for Mericana Records and Macho Mumba for Salsoul Records.[1] He was the bandleader, singer, songwriter and cover artist for both albums, before leaving the band because of creative differences with Millán.[1] William Millán was the sole leader of Saoco on its next two and final albums.[2] In 1980, Henry Fiol made his solo debut on SAR Records.[2] He recorded two more albums for the label before forming his own record company, Corazón, along with a new band of the same name.[2] He continued to release albums over the following decades. His latest album, Ciudadano del mundo, was released in 2012.[4]

His son, Orlando Fiol, is a pianist and conga drummer.[5]

Discography

With Saoco

  • 1976: Siempre seré guajiro (Mericana)
  • 1977: Macho mumba (Salsoul)

Solo albums

  • 1980: Fe, esperanza y caridad' (SAR)
  • 1981: El secreto (SAR)
  • 1983: La ley de la jungla (SAR)
  • 1983: Corazón (Corazón)
  • 1985: Colorao y negro (Corazón)
  • 1986: Juega billar (Corazón)
  • 1989: Renacimiento (El Abuelo)
  • 1990: Sonero (Earthworks)
  • 1991: Creativo (Palacio Rodven)
  • 1994: El don del son (Codiscos/Kubaney)
  • 2002: Guapería (Fonocaribe)
  • 2008: De cachete (Corazón)
  • 2011: Salsa subterránea (Corazón)
  • 2012: Ciudadano del mundo (Corazón)

References

  1. ^ a b c d Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. pp. 861/2. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
  2. ^ a b c d e Clarke, Donald (1990). The Penguin Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Penguin Books. p. 415. ISBN 9780140511475.
  3. ^ a b c Alava, Silvio H. (2007). Spanish Harlem's Musical Legacy: 1930-1980. Arcadia Publishing. p. 49. ISBN 9781439634714.
  4. ^ Pareja, Leo. ""Ciudadano del mundo", nuevo trabajo de Henry Fiol". Vivalaradio.co.uk (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  5. ^ Cruz, Tomás (2015). Tomás Cruz Conga Method Volume 1 - Beginning. Mel Bay Publications. p. 13. ISBN 9781619114975.