Roberto Faz: The Voice of Regla

Cuba's golden age of conjunto music produced many fine singers, but few were as charismatic or beloved as Roberto Faz, "The Voice of Regla."^[1]

From Regla to the conjuntos

Born Roberto Faz Monzón on 18 September 1914 in the waterfront town of Regla, across the bay from Havana, he became, like his contemporary Benny Moré, a versatile singer at home in son, guaracha, and bolero.^[1] After three years with Conjunto Kubavana, he joined the famous Conjunto Casino in 1944, sharing vocals with Agustín Ribot and Roberto Espí.^[1]

The Conjunto Casino years

With Conjunto Casino, Faz reached the height of his fame. The group recorded for RCA Víctor, dominated Cuban radio and television, and toured the United States and Latin America through the late 1940s and 1950s.^[1] In 1956 Faz left to form his own conjunto, continuing to record and perform with great success.^[1]

Why it matters

Roberto Faz is remembered as one of the most complete and engaging figures of Cuban popular song — the musicologist Helio Orovio called him one of its most "agglutinating" voices.^[1] His warm, natural delivery across the son and bolero made him a defining sound of 1950s Cuba, ranked in the company of the great soneros who sang with groups like La Sonora Matancera.^[2] He performed until his death in 1966.