Wildman of Rhythm - by John Radanovich (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Association for Recorded Sound Collections Award for Excellence

"An important and highly entertaining book that tells the story of the great and troubled Cuban singer Benny More. Helps roll back the curtain that often comes between American audiences and their appreciation of the great musical cultures to the south."--Sam Charters, author of A Language of Song: Journeys into the Musical World of the African Diaspora

"An informative and compelling chronicle on the life of Cuba's most dazzling singer, Benny More, tidily strung together as a series of small bright story-jewels."--Ann Louise Bardach, author of Cuba Confidential

Benny Moré was one of the greatest singers to come out of Cuba, and his name evokes overwhelming nostalgia among Cubans and Cuban exiles alike. Known for the power of his expressive boleros, his tributes to beloved guajiro (country) towns, and his exciting, up-tempo songs, Moré was a lightning rod at the center of the golden age of Cuban music. The leader of Banda Gigante, one of the leading Cuban big bands of the 1950s, he was dubbed "El Bárbaro del Ritmo," the wildman of rhythm.

Moré became an icon of Cuban music, but he died tragically at forty-four and in the larger scheme of political difficulties between the U.S. and Cuba, his legacy was nearly forgotten. Music journalist John Radanovich provides the definitive biography for Moré and reinvigorates his memory with information learned from the musicians who knew and performed with the man himself, as well as his family members. Radanovich also examines the milieu of Cuban music in the 1950s, when Havana was the playground of Hollywood stars and the Mafia ran the nightclubs and casinos.

Review Quotes

"Wildman of Rhythm [is] the singer's first English-language biography that finally exposes...this corner of the Earth to the genius that was Benny Moré."--LA Weekly


"A magnetic figure, [Moré] brought together the island's most formative influences--the African, the Spanish, the rural and the urban, the ecstasies and the tragedies."--Palm Beach Post

"Captures the singer's flamboyant manner, sense of humor and hard-living lifestyle, and his dedication to his family. Moré emerges finally as an immensely tragic figure, remaining in Cuba during the flurry of events surrounding the Cuban revolution that sent other artists abroad."-- fRoots Magazine


"We must express our gratitude to Radanovich for spending several years to locate and interrogate the surviving family members and musicians involved in the Wildman of Rhythm's saga, while seeking out rare recordings and little-known photographs in order to tell the story . . . of the one and only Benny Moré."--Latin Beat Magazine

About the Author

John Radanovich has written for the New Orleans Times-Picayune, DownBeat, Jazziz, and Offbeat. He lives in West Palm Beach, Florida.