Los Zafiros

The Cuban quartet los Zafiros forged a distinctive and effective sound by channeling American doo wop acts such as the Platters and Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers while folding in rhythms drawn from bossa nova and calypso. Active on record from 1962 through 1967, the ensemble—whose name translates as “the Sapphires”—earned a measure of renown across Cuba and parts of Europe, including a Paris appearance that counted the Beatles among the audience. Their harmonies stay rooted in classic doo wop, Ignacio Elejaide supplying the lead tenor while Miguel Cancio, Leoncio “Kike” Morua, and Eduardo Elio Hernandez supply capable support. Manuel Galban’s understated guitar and piano parts supply the music’s clearest Cuban signature.

Beyond the performances themselves, the group carries added historical weight for having risen to prominence in revolutionary Cuba with a style of clear American lineage, a choice widely regarded as provocative during the Cuban missile crisis; political tensions did not ultimately derail their achievements, yet they imparted an undercurrent of strain and tragedy to the recordings. Personal difficulties eventually fractured the quartet, which disbanded in the early 1970s. Galban, one of only two members—Cancio being the other—to reach the 1990s, later performed with outfits including the Buena Vista Social Club. The group’s strongest material reached listeners in 1999 via the album Bossa Cubana, while Hermosa Habana appeared in early 2001.