Grupo Victoria - Victor 32521 (1935)

This is the type of 78 I always hope to find when the family travels to Puerto Rico for the holidays. I have come up woefully short in my searches. Where are these discs?

From wikipedia...

Rafael Hernández (October 24, 1892 – December 11, 1965) was a composer of Puerto Rican popular music.

Hernández (birth name: Rafael Hernández Marín) was born in the town of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, into a poor family, on October 24, 1892. As a child, he learned the craft of cigar making, from which he made a modest living. He also grew to love music and asked his parents to permit him to become a full-time music student. When he was 12 years old, Hernández studied music in San Juan, under the guidance of music professors Jose Ruellan Lequenica and Jesús Figueroa. He learned to play many musical instruments, among them the clarinet, tuba, violin, piano and guitar. At the age of 14, he played for the Cocolia Orquestra. Hernández moved to San Juan where he played for the municipal orchestra under the director Manuel Tizol. (Juan Tizol's uncle!)

In 1917, Hernández was working as a musician in North Carolina, when the United States entered World War I. The jazz bandleader James Reese Europe recruited brothers Rafael and Jesús Hernández, and 16 more Puerto Ricans to join the United States Army's Harlem Hell fighters musical band, the Orchestra Europe. He enlisted and was assigned to the U.S. 369th Infantry Regiment (formerly known as the 15th Infantry Regiment, New York National Guard, created in New York City June 2, 1913). The regiment, nicknamed "The Harlem Hell Fighters" by the Germans, served in France. Hernández toured Europe with the Orchestra Europe. The 369th was awarded the French Croix de guerre for battlefield gallantry by the President of France.

After the war, Hernández moved to New York City. In the 1920s, he started writing songs and organized a trio called "Trio Borincano." In 1926, fellow Puerto Rican Pedro Flores joined the Trio. Even though Hernández and Flores became and always remained good friends, they soon went their separate ways and artistically competed against each other. After the trio broke up, he formed a quartet called "Cuarteto Victoria" which included singer Myrta Silva, also known as La Guarachera and La Gorda de Oro. With both groups, Hernández traveled and played his music all over the United States and Latin America. On September 2, 1927, Hernández' sister Victoria opens a music store, which also acts as a booking agency and base of operations for her brother. In 1929, Trío Borinquen recorded Linda Quisqueya (originally titled Linda Borinquen) and that same year he founded the "Cuarteto Victoria" (also known as "El Cuarteto Rico") named after his sister.

In 1932, Hernández moved to Mexico. There, he directed an orchestra and enrolled in Mexico's National Music Conservatory to further enrich his musical knowledge. Hernández also became an actor and organized musical scores in Mexico's "golden age" of movies. His wife (and eventual widow) is Mexican.

In 1937, Hernández wrote "Lamento Borincano." That same year, he also wrote "Preciosa." In 1947, Hernández returned to Puerto Rico and became the director of the orchestra at the government-owned WIPR Radio.

Hernández's works' include "Ahora seremos felices" (Now We Will Be Happy), "Campanitas de cristal" (Crystal Bells), "Capullito de Alhelí", "Culpable" (Guilty),"El Cumbanchero"[6] (also known as "Rockfort Rock" or "Comanchero" (sic) to reggae aficionados), "Ese soy yo" (That's Me), "Perfume de Gardenias" (Gardenia's Perfume), "Silencio" (Silence), and "Tú no comprendes" (You Don't Understand), among 3,000 others. Many of his compositions were strongly based on Cuban musical idioms, such as the guaracha "Cachita" and the pachanga "Buchipluma na' ma'", which were often mistaken as songs by Cuban authors. His music became an important part of Puerto Rican culture.

Hernández was Honorary President of the Authors and Composers Association. He was also the founder of little league baseball in Puerto Rico. President John F. Kennedy christened him "Mr. Cumbanchero."

Hernández died in San Juan on December 11, 1965, shortly after Banco Popular de Puerto Rico produced a TV special in his honor in which he addressed the people for the last time. The special was simulcast on all TV and most island radio stations. The TV special was rebroadcast on May 13, 2007. Rafael Hernández's remains are buried in the Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery of Old San Juan.

Puerto Rico has honored his memory by naming public buildings, avenues and schools after him. The airport in Aguadilla is named Rafael Hernández Airport. There are schools in The Bronx, Boston, and in Newark, New Jersey named after Rafael Hernández. Renowned Puerto Rican sculptor Tomás Batista created a statue of Hernández which is in the municipality of Bayamón, Puerto Rico. The Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, the repository of his works, operates a small museum in his honor at its Metropolitan Campus in San Juan which is directed by his son, Alejandro (Chalí) Hernández.

I have not been able to find a personnel listing but it appears to be made up of Puerto Ricans and Cubans.

Pedro Ortiz Dávila (Davilita) (Puerto Rican), Rodriguez (?) v / Alberto Socarrás (Cuban) flute / Mario Bauzá (Cuban) reeds, t.

(If anyone has a listing, please message me.)

Recorded in New York, 1935.

A. Mesa y S. Ithier R. Hernández (Trío Borinquen) - Columbia 2728-X (1927)

Rafael Hernández formed Trío Borinquen in 1925 and recorded 121 songs by the time they disbanded in 1931.

Antonio Mesa (Dominican) tenor v / Salvador Ithier (Mayaguez, Puerto Rico) 2nd guitar, v / Rafael Hernández (Aguadillo, Puerto Rico) lead guitar.

Recorded in New York, 1927.

Pedro Flores Y Su Orquesta - Brunswick 41576 (1933)

From wikipedia...

Pedro Flores (March 9, 1894 – July 14, 1979) was one Puerto Rico's best known composers of ballads and boleros.

Flores (birth name: Pedro Juan Flores Córdova) was one of twelve children born into a poor family in the town of Naguabo, Puerto Rico. Flores' father died when he was only nine years old and therefore, he was forced to work at a young age. When he was sixteen years old, he took a special course in the Universidad de Puerto Rico and received his teachers certificate. Flores taught for five years and worked for one year at a sugar mill in the island of Vieques. In 1918, he served in a clerical position in the U.S. Army. He was honorably discharged from the Army when he was twenty-four years old.

In 1926, Flores went to New York City without any formal musical education and joined another Puerto Rican composer, Rafael Hernández in his Trío Borinquen. Even though Flores and Hernández became very good friends, they also became competitors as composers. When Flores wrote Sin Bandera, Hernández rushed and wrote Preciosa.

In 1930, Flores formed his own trio which he named "Trío Galón", and whose music and songs had a faster beat than the "Trío Borinquen". Flores had problems with the music publishing company and he abandoned the trio. He moved to Mexico and then lived in Cuba for a short period of time. Flores eventually returned to New York where he reorganized his old trio. Some of the singers of this new trio were Myrta Silva, Daniel Santos and Pedro Ortiz Dávila "Davilita".

A 1996 television special honoring his work features versions by many Puerto Rican and international artists, such as Ednita Nazario, Marc Anthony, Yolandita Monge and Shakira.

Pedro Flores died in San Juan, Puerto Rico on July 14, 1979 and is buried in Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery located in Old San Juan.

Recorded in New York in 1933.

Cuarteto Flores - Columbia 5249-X (1935) (Blue Wax)

From wikipedia...

Pedro Flores born (March 9, 1894 – July 14, 1979) was one Puerto Rico's best known composers of ballads and boleros.

Flores (birth name: Pedro Juan Flores Córdova) was one of twelve children born into a poor family in the town of Naguabo, Puerto Rico. Flores' father died when he was only nine years old and therefore, he was forced to work at a young age. When he was sixteen years old, he took a special course in the Universidad de Puerto Rico and received his teachers certificate. Flores taught for five years and worked for one year at a sugar mill in the island of Vieques. In 1918, he served in a clerical position in the U.S. Army. He was honorably discharged from the Army when he was twenty-four years old.

In 1926, Flores went to New York City without any formal musical education and joined another Puerto Rican composer, Rafael Hernández in his Trío Borinquen. Even though Flores and Hernández became very good friends, they also became competitors as composers. When Flores wrote Sin Bandera, Hernández rushed and wrote Preciosa.

In 1930, Flores formed his own trio which he named "Trío Galón", and whose music and songs had a faster beat than the "Trío Borinquen". Flores had problems with the music publishing company and he abandoned the trio. He moved to Mexico and then lived in Cuba for a short period of time. Flores eventually returned to New York where he reorganized his old trio. Some of the singers of this new trio were Myrta Silva, Daniel Santos and Pedro Ortiz Dávila "Davilita".

A 1996 television special honoring his work features versions by many Puerto Rican and international artists, such as Ednita Nazario, Marc Anthony, Yolandita Monge and Shakira.

Pedro Flores died in San Juan, Puerto Rico on July 14, 1979 and is buried in Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery located in Old San Juan.

Photo taken of Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery December 2014

Recorded in New York on March 15, 1935.

Fausto & Pastor Canario Y Su Grupo / Orquesta Victor Antillana - HMV G.V.27 (1933)

Here are two sides composed by Puerto Rico's greatest composer, Rafael Hernández.

Victor ledgers have some of the personnel listed as:

Canario (pseudonym for Manuel Jiménez who was from Orocovis, Puerto Rico ) leader / Enrique v / Davilita (Pedro Ortiz Dávila) v / Fausto Delgado v.

Recorded in New York on March 24, 1933.

Partial personnel listed as:

Daniel Sanchez v, claves / Antonio Machín v, maracas.

Recorded in New York on March 24, 1933.