Biography
Cuban bandleader Alberto Iznaga numbered among the performers who cut tracks for U.S. record companies during the 1930s and 1940s, thereby shaping and ultimately enriching the blend of styles that became known as Latin jazz. Listeners familiar with vintage jazz typically encounter his name first as the writer of “Goin’ Conga,” a buoyant piece that bandleader Cab Calloway captured at the peak of his orchestra’s powers, an ensemble whose trumpet section included Dizzy Gillespie, a musician who would soon play a central role in merging jazz with Cuban rhythmic traditions and artists.
In his own right as a leader, Iznaga produced a run of 78s for Joe Davis during the 1940s that showcased an array of bolero, guaracha, porro, and pregon patterns. Among his associates were singer José Luis Moneró and composer Jaime Yamin, the latter one of the first Latin songwriters to secure regular income on Tin Pan Alley. The Iznaga–Yamin collaboration yielded the major success “Cuando Estas a Mi Lado,” whose title roughly translates as “when these things are by my side.”
In his own right as a leader, Iznaga produced a run of 78s for Joe Davis during the 1940s that showcased an array of bolero, guaracha, porro, and pregon patterns. Among his associates were singer José Luis Moneró and composer Jaime Yamin, the latter one of the first Latin songwriters to secure regular income on Tin Pan Alley. The Iznaga–Yamin collaboration yielded the major success “Cuando Estas a Mi Lado,” whose title roughly translates as “when these things are by my side.”