Ambassadors of the Rumba Los Papines, a five-member ensemble, celebrated their 40th anniversary in 2003. Today, in late January 2009, Irina Echarry reports direct from Havana that the "Abreu family brings their rumba to the Casa de la Cultura in the Havana municipality of Plaza the third Sunday each month and everyone is invited with no charge. "I went last Sunday and Los Papines, comprised of Luis, Ricardo, Jesus, Luisito and Juliet Abreu managed to get everybody’s shoulders and hips moving. The chorus of one of their songs said it all: Even the palm trees move with the wind and the earth shakes. "Los Papines are some of the country’s best diplomats since with only five musicians they have gotten people dancing in 62 countries, transmitting the energy of a big band and showing the strength of Cuban music. Many years after the group formed, they continue to be a reference point of Afro-Cuban and Afro-Caribbean percussion." --Irina Echarry, Havana Times, January 21, 2009 Biographical Material Excerpted from Los Papines' MySpace Page: In the 1950’s, Ricardo Abreu formed his own group: “Papin y sus Rumberos”, with two of his brothers and in 1962 created the vocal and percussion quartet "Los Papines" playing rumba as their fundamental musical expression (Guanguanco, Columbia, Yambú, Jiribilla). They also included in their repertoire other rhythms such as the Conga, the Son and the captivating Bolero. They received vocal performance lessons from Luis Carbonell, the so called ‘watercolourist of the West Indian Poetry. Few Latin American musicians have conquered the world, but the five continents have been unable to resist the moving call of their ‘skin to skin’ drum beats and songs performed in their own inimitable way. Los Papines performed and recorded with the world’s top Latin performers such as: Tito Puente, Ray Barreto, Oscar d’Leon, Giovanni Hidalgo, Manny Oquendo, Andy González, Omara Portuondo, Rubén Gonzalez, Cachaito López and Arturo Sandoval, to mention just a few. Their major contribution has been in placing the name of their homeland on top. Their most recent award has been the Grammy Latino of 2001 for their hit song, ‘La Rumba Soy Yo.' At the close of 2001, the quartet suffered the loss of Alfredo, the third of the brothers, who was a genuine exponent of Cuban percussion and acknowledged as such throughout the world for 38 years. Los Papines’ greatest virtue is their respect for family tradition, presently examplified by the inclusion of the new generation, Luis Abreu Chantres, a young and talented percussionist and performer. The feminine note – for the first time in the history of the group – is the presence of enchanting percussionist and vocalist Yuliet Abreu Fernández (Jesús' daughter), undeniably a descendant of master musicians. Los Papines are officially considered to be a key part of the national cultural heritage of Cuba.
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