Mr. La Serie had a big, open voice, slightly hoarse and aggressive. Although some of his biggest hits were ballads, his up-tempo singing was a marvel of improvisation and sound. His attack and his enthusiasm earned him the nickname ''El Guapo de la Cancion,'' which in Cuban slang translates as valiant or bold singer.
Mr. La Serie, from Santa Clara in Cuba, started out as a percussionist -- he was one of the original members of Beny More's group -- whose singing was seen as a bit of an embarrassment. But in 1956 he had the opportunity to record a ballad by Mario Fernandez Porta called ''Mentiras Tuyas,'' which he transformed with his distinctively hard sound. The composer of the song objected to Mr. La Serie's interpretation, but the record sold 30,000 copies in the first few days after its release.
Mr. La Serie left Cuba soon after, traveling the world and living in Argentina and Mexico, which cost him his fame in his native country. But he maintained a busy schedule, recording with the music's biggest stars, even in exile from Cuba. He recorded in New York with Tito Puente and his band in the 1960's for an album called ''Pachanga in New York'' and with the great Puerto Rican band Cortijo y Su Combo, singing with Ismael Rivera. Along the way he continued to have hits, including ''Amalia Batista,'' now a Latin standard. He added tangos to his repertory, and his frequent interjection ''De pelicula!'' (''From a movie!'') became his trademark.
In the 1970's he moved to Florida, and in the 80's he recorded with Johnny Pacheco on Fania Records. He began recording with Caiman Records, which produced the album ''Ay, Se Paso La Serie,'' recorded in 1985 in a modern Cuban style.
Source - http://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/29/nyregion/rolando-la-serie-75-a-popular-singer-in-cuba.html
Mr. La Serie, from Santa Clara in Cuba, started out as a percussionist -- he was one of the original members of Beny More's group -- whose singing was seen as a bit of an embarrassment. But in 1956 he had the opportunity to record a ballad by Mario Fernandez Porta called ''Mentiras Tuyas,'' which he transformed with his distinctively hard sound. The composer of the song objected to Mr. La Serie's interpretation, but the record sold 30,000 copies in the first few days after its release.
Mr. La Serie left Cuba soon after, traveling the world and living in Argentina and Mexico, which cost him his fame in his native country. But he maintained a busy schedule, recording with the music's biggest stars, even in exile from Cuba. He recorded in New York with Tito Puente and his band in the 1960's for an album called ''Pachanga in New York'' and with the great Puerto Rican band Cortijo y Su Combo, singing with Ismael Rivera. Along the way he continued to have hits, including ''Amalia Batista,'' now a Latin standard. He added tangos to his repertory, and his frequent interjection ''De pelicula!'' (''From a movie!'') became his trademark.
In the 1970's he moved to Florida, and in the 80's he recorded with Johnny Pacheco on Fania Records. He began recording with Caiman Records, which produced the album ''Ay, Se Paso La Serie,'' recorded in 1985 in a modern Cuban style.
Source - http://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/29/nyregion/rolando-la-serie-75-a-popular-singer-in-cuba.html
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