Biography
Adolfo Alfonso’s lengthy path as a folksinger reveals how many performance avenues remain open to determined and resourceful artists, even on the Cuban island—put plainly, revolutions do not cancel shows. Talk of sedition and subversion has long surrounded the island, and some observers view Alfonso’s own trajectory, from radio performer of children’s music to participant in Casita Criolla, as fitting either description. That touring ensemble fused improvisational theater with music, and every member on stage was immersed in social protest during the ’50s, when upheaval loomed. Half a century afterward, Alfonso’s striking contributions to a compilation devoted to revolutionary Che Guevera demonstrated that an unending boycott, the Cold War, and the Cold War’s conclusion never seriously obstructed his outlook.
The style for which the singer is chiefly recognized is punto guajiro or punto Cubana, in which guitar- and percussion-backed vocalists split into opposing teams and exchange improvised musical lines. As with numerous idioms ranging from ranchera to grunge, steady live work—frequently in modest bars—built an audience before radio exposure followed. Alfonso gained regular airplay on Cuban stations including Cadena Azul and Union Radio. He entered the Cantores de Ariguanabo ensemble in the late ’50s and, in the early ’60s, partnered with fellow punto Cubana practitioner Justo Vega for the television program Palmas y Canas. Visa obstacles did not impede Alfonso’s touring schedule at every border; he has appeared across Latin America, Europe, and Africa.
The style for which the singer is chiefly recognized is punto guajiro or punto Cubana, in which guitar- and percussion-backed vocalists split into opposing teams and exchange improvised musical lines. As with numerous idioms ranging from ranchera to grunge, steady live work—frequently in modest bars—built an audience before radio exposure followed. Alfonso gained regular airplay on Cuban stations including Cadena Azul and Union Radio. He entered the Cantores de Ariguanabo ensemble in the late ’50s and, in the early ’60s, partnered with fellow punto Cubana practitioner Justo Vega for the television program Palmas y Canas. Visa obstacles did not impede Alfonso’s touring schedule at every border; he has appeared across Latin America, Europe, and Africa.
Albums
