"Los Compadres" duet was founded in 1942 and is one of the most representative groups in Cuban music. Lorenzo Hierrezuelo, first voice, and Francisco Repilado, second voice, were the first members of this duet.
These two prominent Cuban musicians had already worked together in 1938 when they created the Hatuey quartet, also composed by Marcelino Guerra (Rapindey) and Evelio Machín, and occasionally joined their voices to comply with several commitments.
It is worthwhile mentioning that before founding Los Compadres, Lorenzo Hierrezuelo was member of one of the most popular duets in Cuba at that time, together with María Teresa Vera.
One day, in 1942, Compay Segundo was cutting Lorenzo Hierrezuelo`s hair when the idea of creating a duet stemmed out. Then, they founded Los Compadres duet, a group that, according to both specialists and critics, achieved the perfect combination of two voices and two guitars rarely found in the history of Cuban music.
A radio commentator bap
tized them with the names that will accompany them to immortality: he used the word "Compay", which is the colloquial way of saying "Compadre" and the customary greeting used in the eastern region in Cuba. Lorenzo Hierrezuelo, who was the first voice, became "Compay Primo" and Francisco Repilado, the second voice, became "Compay Segundo".
The first Compadres duet was remarkable for the excellent amalgamation of their voices and the cheerful way in which they dealt with peasantry in the eastern region in Cuba. Tose days witnessed anthological songs like "Macusa", "Mi son oriental", "Los barrios de Santiago" and "Yo canto en el llano".
The Repilado and Hierrezuelo duet left some recordings for the Panart label and performed on several national and international stages during the thirteen years they stayed together.
In 1955, Lorenzo Hierrezuelo returned to the duet format with the incorporation of his brother Reinaldo Hierrezuelo, known as King Caney, founder of the Patria Quartet in 1939 and currently director of La Vieja Trova Santiaguera quintet. Also in 1955, Los Compadres moved to Santiago de Cuba, traveled to Santo Domingo and achieved a unique popularity. In Peru, they were awarded two Golden Records and crowned with success throughout Latin America. They toured across Cuba and most of Europe and Japan.
The Hierrezuelo brothers traveled half the world performing the Cuban music in different countries by interpreting a pure son, that of Santiago de Cuba. In this way, they set a style characterized by their unique voices, their cadence, their peculiar sense of humor and the use of guttural sounds by Lorenzo to reproduce the sound of the claves and by Reinaldo, who became the "human flute", now used by many important young vocal groups in Cuba as, for example, the Sampling group.
The many songs that turned into hits include "Venga guano", "No quiero llanto" and "Guarapo, pimienta y sal". The duet was actively performing until Lorenzo`s death.
