Luis Griñan
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Luis “Lili” Martínez Griñán, Luis Martínez Griñán. Musician, composer and arranger. He was born in Guantánamo on August 19, 1915. He began his musical studies with his sister Ana Emilia Martínez Griñán despite the opposition of his father who refused to have an artist son.
He makes his first presentations at family and friends parties. In 1935 he played in the Corsino Calzado orchestra at the North American Naval Base in Guantánamo. In 1937 he created the orchestra "Los Champions de Lilí Martínez" revealing himself as the most requested musician and orchestra by all Guaso dancers.
He also worked for the CMKS radio station and in dance academies in Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo. Contact with Nengón, Kiribá, Regina, Changüí and other forms of Guantanamo music nourished him with knowledge to later make him the first Cuban musician to write Chopin's piano annotations to classically interpret the son. He was the creator of the Escuela Pianística del Son and a great innovator who transferred cells from North American folklore to our dance music.
His interpretive forms influenced musicians of the stature of Chucho Valdés, Frank Fernández, Emiliano Salvador, Papo Lucas, Eddie Palmieri, Enrique Culebra Iriarte, etc. Among his compositions we can mention Alto Songo, Zero handsome in Yateras, Sasoneando, Don't cry to me, Que se fuña, and others. Luis Martínez Griñán mastered the English and French languages, in addition to having the title of Dactyloscopic Technician obtained in Illinois, United States.
He held the distinction for the "National Culture" and the "Raúl Gómez García" medal. He dies on Sunday, August 26, 1990 at the age of 75.
His remains were buried in the Colon Necropolis in Havana; On August 23, 1995, they moved to the San Rafael cemetery in Guantánamo.