Beny and Vertientes

A while back, Nelson posted a Beny Moré musical tour of Cuban municipalities on Assymetric. At the time I pointed out in a comment that he had missed Beny's "Vertientes, Camaguey," an omission he recently rectified when he discovered it by its actual title.

Beny knew Vertientes well, as he once worked at the rail station there. Mom always loved Beny, and she is fond of telling a story about him. I don't vouch for all of the details, as Mom's stories get more apocryphal the older she gets. Still, she usually builds her confabulations around a nugget of truth. Anyway, after his stint in Vertientes, Beny went off to fame and fortune. He was invited back to play at the Club in town. The club as an institution was a social club/ ballroom/dance hall.

Some of the older, more staid members expressed concern that Beny would be a no show, as he had developed something of a reputation. Of course, the younger generation made sure Beny heard what was being said. "Oh yeah," he is reputed to have said. So on the night in question, he showed up on time and stone, cold sober, whether he stayed that way is not in my purview. That night, he sang song after song, taking requests, and bringing the house down. It was an evening long remembered in Vertientes.

Link established. All's well that ends well.