Ibrahim Ferrer

Ibrahim Ferrer (February 20, 1927 ? August 6, 2005) was a popular Afro-Cuban musician in Cuba.

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Born at a dance in San Luis, near the city of Santiago de Cuba, Ferrer's mother died when he was 12, leaving him orphaned and forcing him to sing on the streets to earn money. The next year, Ferrer joined his first ever musical group, a duet alongside his cousin called Jovenes del Son (Spanish: Youths of Son). They performed at private functions and the two youths managed to scrape together enough money to live.

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Over the next few years, Ferrer would perform with many musical groups, including Conjunto Sorpresa and Orquesta Chepin-Choven.

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The leader of the latter composed one of Ferrer's biggest hits, "El Platanal de Bartolo".

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In 1953 Ferrer started to play with Pacho Alonso's group in Santiago. In 1959 the group moved permanently to Havana, renaming themselves Los Bocucos, after a type of drum widely used in Santiago.

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With Alonso, Ferrer primarily performed guarachas, sones and other sorts of up-tempo songs. However, he yearned to sing boleros. It was not until almost 40 years later, with the release of Ry Cooder's Grammy Award winning Buena Vista Social Club recording in 1999, that Ibrahim Ferrer's talent as a bolero singer would become widely known.

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In 1996, Ferrer took part in the World Circuit sessions, when it was announced than an old-style bolero singer would be required. In that year, he recorded the album A Toda Cuba le Gusta with the Afro-Cuban All Stars, an album nominated for a Grammy Award.

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In 1998 he recorded an album for the Cuban label EGREM, Tierra Caliente: Ibrahim Ferrer con Los Bocucos. It features Ferrer's unique voice and phrasing, band leader Roberto Correra's rich, intricate arrangements and excellent lead trumpet, and tight, rhythmic playing by the Bocucos. The album's is in the style of son-jazz big band fusion.

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In 1999 Ry Cooder recorded Ferrer's first solo album, shown above.

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In 2001 he appeared on the track Latin Simone on the self-titled debut album of virtual-band Gorillaz.

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The youngest member of the Buena Vista Social Club, Ferrer still toured internationally in Europe in 2005, and released his second solo recording, Buenos Hermanos, in 2003. He was an adherent of the Santer?a faith, a blending of traditional African religions and Catholicism.

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He died of multiple organ failure on August 6, 2005 at CIMEQ hospital in Havana (Cuba) after returning from a European tour. He was 78 at the time of his death.

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February 20: February 20 is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 314 days remaining, 315 in leap years....

1927: 1927 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar)....

August 6: August 6 is the 218th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (219th in leap years), with 147 days remaining....

Ibrahim Ferrer related Images and Photos (experimental)

Mel Ferrer	Jose Ferrer	St. Vincent Ferrer Performing a Miracle	Portrait of Ibrahim Pasha 1840
Ibrahim Khalil Praying Within a Circle of Blazing Logs from the Hadiqat Al-Haqiqat	Mel Ferrer Françoise Arnoul and Micheline Presle (episode "Luxurieux point ne seras"): Le Diable e	Portrait of Sheikh Ibrahim or Johann Ludwig Burckhardt 1817	The French Admiral de Rigny Meets with Ibrahim Pasha after the Battle of Navarino