Manolo Álvarez Mera


Manolo Álvarez Mera '' was a Cuban-born tenor who flourished as a bel canto during the latter 1940s and full 1950s. Despite having an operatic caliber voice, he gained popularity signing in operettas, musical reviews, radio, television, vaudeville, and major night clubs of Cuba, New York, and Latin America. He became a Cuban exile in 1960 after the Cuban Revolution.

Career

; Cuba
Álvarez was born November 7, 1923, to the marriage of Manuel Alvarez and Beniana Mera, in the Luyanó :eo:Luyanó| neighborhood of Diez de Octubre, Havana, Cuba. After formally studying voice in Havana, Álvarez debuted in 1943 at the Teatro Principal de la Comedia in Havana, singing the role of Niño Fernando in María O :es:María la O|, a one act zarzuela, lyrics by Gustavo Sánchez Galarraga, music by Ernesto Lecuona. Maruja González sang the soprano role of Mary O. He went on in 1944 to perform at the Teatro Lírico Cubano, singing in La Plaza de la Catedral, a zarzuela by Lecuona. He sang the same work for radio stations RHC-Cadena Azul and CMQ.
He then went on to perform in several zarzuelas, including Luisa Fernanda, Los gavilanes :es:Los gavilanes|, La leyenda del beso :es:La leyenda del beso|, La dolorosa, and Cecilia Valdés, which included singers Maruja Montes, Rosita Fornés :es:Rosita Fornés|, Zoraida Marrero, Esther Borja, Sarita Escarpentier, Dorini de Diso, Miguel de Grandy, Antonio Palacios, Jesús Freyre, and Gregorio Barrios :es:Gregorio Barrios|.
; New York
September 16, 1947, he opened in New York, as a feature singer in the musical revue Violins Over Broadway at the Diamond Horseshoes Night Club, produced by impresario Billy Rose. The show ran for two years.
; Brazil
In 1950, Álvarez moved to Rio de Janeiro and performed in Sao Paulo and on several Brazilian radio stations.
; Argentina, Chili, and Uruguay
In 1952, Álvarez toured Buenos Aires, with visits to Chile, and Montevideo. His South American performances were acclaimed by the Cuban magazine, Carteles :es:Revista Carteles|, of May 11, 1952.
In his Uruguay radio concerts, Álvarez was hailed "Sir Hyperbole!" Many of his interpretations, including "María la O" :es:María la O|; "Granada," by Agustín Lara; and "Ay-Ay-Ay," by Osmán Pérez Freire, were interrupted with applause, and he was forced to repeat three or four times. The night of the farewell, as he went on stage, the audience — more than two thousand excited people — threw a rain carnations and roses, forming a cloak. The program had been interrupted for a long time, "the natural emotion of the artist in such a beautiful tribute."
"Álvarez continued his success in Brazil and Buenos Aires. For months Alvarez had been an exclusive artist for Victor, having recorded and "Granada," by Agustín Lara, and "Despedida," by María Grever, with the RCA Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Vieri Fidanzini."
; United States
Álvarez returned to the United States in 1951. Accompanied by the Carlos Molina Orchestra, Álvarez sang "Granada" in a short 1953 filmCarnival in April, released in 3D by Universal. The film also featured Toni Arden, Josephine Premice, and Fernando Rodriguez. On April 4, 1954, he appeared on the television show, The Colgate Comedy Hour, with Eddie Cantor. He also appeared at the Flamingo Las Vegas with Freddie Martin.
; Hollywood
As of mid-March 1953, Álvarez had been studying six months with Arthur Rosenberg. On April 18, 1954 — Easter Sunday — Álvarez sang "The Lord's Prayer," in a sunrise national broadcast produced by David Rose at the Hollywood Bowl with conductor Miklós Rózsa.
In 1954, he appeared as a featured singer in New York at the Waldorf Astoria with Freddie Martin and His Orchestra. He also appeared at the Edgewater Beach in Chicago, and the Skyroom at the Mapes Hotel in Reno. He held a principal role in the production Spanish Fantasy, a show that toured America, performing at venues that included the Terrace Room at the Statler Hotel in Los Angeles. and the Empire Room at the Statler Hilton in Dallas. He also sang on the NBC television program Saturday Night Review, Coast to Coast.
; Antioquia and Cuba
In August 1955, Álvarez was featured in a Tropicana production of Evocación and Seis Lindas Cubanas, the latter being song referencing the six provinces of Cuba. The production was staged by Rodrigo Neira who was known as "Rodney." The show was presented in a telecast from Medellín, Antioquia, and was a review of nineteenth century Cuban dance and music. Other performers included Xiomara Alfaro, Cuarteto Faxas, Estelita Santaló, Cuarteto d'Aida, Leonela González, Dancers Ana Gloria and Rolando, and the Lago Sisters Trio.
The same production, with mostly the same artists, including Álvarez, was presented in a telecast April 21, 1956.
; Hollywood
In America, he once replaced the voice of Mario Lanza in the 1958 film, Seven Hills of Rome.
; Final performances in Cuba
In February 1958, Álvarez headlined in the Copa Room at the Hotel Habana Riviera with Cuarteto d'Aida.
Among Álvarez's last stage performances in Cuba, he was acclaimed for his appearances in the theater as Ivan Marti in La leyenda del beso :es:La leyenda del beso| and Rosillon in The Merry Widow. In Cuba, he performed on television, in theaters, on several recordings, and in casinos, which included the Tropicana and Hotel Capri.
In 1959, Álvarez sang on TV "Adiós, Granada," in Emigrantes, a zarzuela composed by Tomás Barrera Saavedra :es:Tomás Barrera| and Rafael Calleja Gómez. Other performers in that production included Alfredo Kraus, Miguel Fleta, Victoria de los Ángeles, Tito Schipa, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Hipólito Lázaro, Pepe Romeu, Juan García, Luis Mariano, Misha Alexandrovich.
Acclaimed by the Diario de la Marina as "the First Tenor of Cuba and one of the best in the world," Álvarez, on February 2, 1960, headlined on Noche Cubana,'' a live evening national telecast by CMBF-TV :es:CMBF Radio Musical Nacional|. Other singers included Barbarito Diez, María Teresa Vera, Lorenzo Hierrezuelo, and the group Cuarteto d'Aida.
On August 21, 1960, Álvareze was featured on the Ed Sullivan Show, singing "Mattinatta." In 1963, he settled in New York, where he died on October 14, 1986. He had lived at 216 West 102nd Street in Manhattan.

Family

Álvarez married Delfina Cougil Fernandez. They had two children: Teresita , Manuel.

Selected discography

  1. "Júrame" :es:Júrame |, by María Grever
  2. "Marta," by Moisés Simons
  3. "No Niegues que me quisistes", by Jorge del Moral
  4. "Siempre en Mi Corazón", by Ernesto Lecuona †
  5. "No Puedo ser feliz", by Adolfo Guzman

  1. "Torna a Sorriento" by Ernesto De Curtis
  2. "Mattinatta", by Ruggero Leoncavallo ‡
  3. "Core 'ngrato", by Salvatore Cardillo, Riccardo Cordiferro :it:Riccardo Cordiferro|
  4. "La donna è mobile", by Verdi
  5. "Estrellita" , by Manuel Ponce
  1. "María Belén Chacón", words adopted by José Sánchez Arcilla, music by Rodrigo Prats
  2. "Si llego a besarte", by Luis Casas Romero
  3. "Quiéreme Mucho", lyrics by Agustin Rodriguez, music by Gonzalo Roig
  4. "Mirame así", by Eduardo Sánchez de Fuentes
  5. "Soledad", by Rodrigo Prats

  1. "Esclavo libre", by Ernesto Lecuona
  2. "La Bayamesa", by Sindo Garay
  3. "Corazon", by Eduardo Sánchez de Fuentes

  4. "Habanera Tú", by Eduardo Sánchez de Fuentes
  5. "María la O" :es:María la O|, lyrics by Gustavo Sánchez Galarraga, music by Ernesto Lecuona

  1. "La Bayamesa", by Sindo Garay

  1. "La Bayamesa", by Sindo Garay

  1. "Elena," by Roberto García Masvidal

  1. "Yo Soy Tú Fracaso", by Roberto García Masvidal

Selected videography