Odilio Urfé (1921-1988)
Cuba | Performer, conductor, musicologist
BIOGRAPHY
A strong proponent of Cuban popular music, Odilio Urfé lead a diverse musical career as a performer, conductor, and musicologist. He studied piano at the Conservatorio Municipal de La Habana under María Luisa Chartrand, and subsequently performed as a pianist and flautist in several ensembles, including the La Orquesta Gris and La Orquesta de Cámara del Conservatorio Municipal de La Habana. In his musicological work, Urfé focused on the decolonization of Cuban music and Cuban music in contemporary social contexts, and his work often intersected with concepts in philosophy, sociology, and anthropology. In addition, he extensively researched various facets of Cuban popular music, particularly the development of the danzón, rumba, and canción. In 1949, Urfé founded El Instituto de Investigaciones Folklóricas, later renamed the Seminario de Música Popular Cubana in 1963 and Centro de Información y Promoción de la Música Cubana Odilio Urfé in 1988. In his role as a music director, Urfé founded and served as the director of La Orquesta Odilio Urfé and El Piquete Típico Cubano, both of which specialized in performing Cuban popular music and dances.
SELECT RESOURCES AVAILABLE AT IU-BLOOMINGTON LIBRARIES
BOOKS
AUDIO RECORDINGS
These resources are only available to authorized users at Indiana University-Bloomington.
Alexander Street Press
"Se Rompió la Máquina” (Odilio Urfé y su Charanga Folklórica)
"Linda cubana"
"Liliana"
YouTube
Elmarakazo, “ Nostalgia Cubana - Fefita"
INTERVIEWS
Nicomedes Santa Cruz, “Entrevista a Odilio Urfé de Nicomedes Santa Cruz. La Habana (Cuba). 27 de Junio de 1986.” (in Spanish)
ADDITIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHY
Works Authored or Coauthored by Odilio Urfé
These resources are only available to authorized users at Indiana University-Bloomington.
Urfé, Odilio (1982). "La música folklórica, popular y del teatro cubano". Journal of Caribbean Studies 3 (1--2), 177.
Periodicals
These resources are only available to authorized users at Indiana University-Bloomington.
New York Amsterdam News
"Caribbean Expressions Festival Schedule: Concert Presentations." New York Amsterdam News, Aug 30, 1980. (ProQuest Historical Newspapers)
"Diaspora Reveals Culture of Africa and Caribbean." New York Amsterdam News (1962-1993), Sep 15, 1979. (ProQuest Historical Newspapers)
Journal Articles
These resources are only available to authorized users at Indiana University-Bloomington.
Gómez Cairo, Jesús (01/01/1989). "De paciencia y pasiones: El Seminario de la Música Popular cumple 40 años". Clave (14), 7.
Cairo, Jesús Gómez.“Dos enfoques sobre géneros de la música cubana: Odilio Urfé y Argeliers León.” Clave 12, no. 1 (2010), 28-49. (Casa de las Américas)