Research Guides

CHC Music Guide


Subject Specialist

Elizabeth Cerejido

Amanda Moreno

  • Esperanza Bravo de Varona Chair and Director of the Cuban Heritage Collection
  • a.moreno8@umiami.edu
  • (305) 284-5854

Juan A. Villanueva

Stefanie Rodriguez

Guide Overview
The Cuban Heritage Collection houses an important archive of music-related documents, distributed in more than forty collections of papers and/or recordings of musicians, singers, composers, music scholars and music amateurs in Cuba and the diaspora.

These papers include music scores, concert programs, correspondence, lyrics for songs, writings on music, audio and video recordings in various formats, and visual materials such as photographs of musicians and posters for musical performances and ensembles.

A wealth of books and various types of published materials on Cuban music from the early colonial times to the present are also available in the Collection. A database of Music Scores in the CHC is available in the Scores Database tab within this Music Guide.
Manuscript Collections
Magali O. Acosta Collection, 1956-1960
Contains arrangements by the Cuban composer Rodrigo Prats (1909-1980) of works by other composers such as Ernesto Lecuona and Agustín Lara, amongst others.
 
Natalia Aróstegui Bolognini Collection, 1913-1956
Features musical scores by important Cuban composers of the first half of the 20th century, such as Gonzalo Roig, Ernesto Lecuona, Jorge Anckermann, Gisela Hernández González, and Ernestina Lecuona, amongst others.
 
John Beltrán Collection, circa 1956-1986
Includes primarily recordings by famous Cuban singer Olga Guillot (1922-2010). It also includes other materials related to Guillot. 

Yolanda del Castillo Cobelo Papers, 1940s-2010s
Personal papers of exiled Cuban singer-songwriter Yolanda del Castillo Cobelo (1933-2013), including music scores, audio and video recordings, photographs, clippings, and letters documenting her career.
 Celia Cruz Collection, 1948-2008
The collection documents the professional activities of the Cuban singer Celia Cruz (1922?-2003) from the 1950s until 2003. It includes mostly photographs, but it also contains instrumental parts for the arrangements of some of Cruz's major hits and one published music score, as well as other materials.
 
José Curbelo Papers, circa 1940s-2000s
These papers contain photographs, documents, and one sound recording relating to Cuban band leader and manager José Curbelo (1917-2012).
 
Pepe Delgado Papers, 1954-1990
The papers document activities of Pepe Delgado (1917-1990), a Cuban exile musician and composer of popular music. They include manuscript and published scores of Delgado’s music, along with other materials.
 
Osvaldo Farrés Papers, 1940-1986
This collection contains musical scores, photographs, and other documents related to Farrés (1902-1985), a Cuban composer who was best known for his song “Quizás, Quizás, Quizás.”
 
Wilfredo Fernández Papers, 1951-1978
The papers document professional activities of Cuban singer Wilfredo Fernández (1924-2005). The materials include manuscript scores of arrangements made for Fernández by important Cuban composers, recordings and other documents.

 Grandes Leyendas Musicales Cubanas Recordings Collection, 2008-2012
This collection consists of interviews conducted by Cuban-born businessman, writer and radio host Eloy Cepero (b. 1945) with Cuban-born musicians. The presentations are part of a series sponsored by the Institute of Cuban and Cuban American Studies.
 
Luisa María Güell Papers, 1966-2008
The papers document professional activities of Güell (b.1940), a Cuban singer, actress and composer. The bulk of the material consists of clippings, but it also includes photographs, videotapes and other documents.
 
Rolando Laserie Papers, [1930]-1995
These papers consist primarily of photographs of Cuban-born singer and entertainer Rolando Laserie (1923-1998), but they also include correspondence, programs and clippings.
 
Edmundo López Papers, circa 1950s-1990s
These papers contain correspondence, musical scores, diplomas, photographs and awards related to Cuban musician Edmundo López (1922-1992).
 
Hortensia Montero Papers, 1925-1991
Photographs, programs, clippings, and scores belonging to Montero (1909-98), a Cuban mezzo-soprano and composer.
 
Music Scores Collection, circa 1850s-2013
The Music Scores Collection contains publications dating from the late 19th century to the present day. It includes art music and popular music scores by over a hundred composers for various combinations of instruments and voices.
 
Manuel Ochoa Papers, circa 1925-2006
This collection contains the papers of the Cuban-born former director of the Miami Symphony Orchestra, Manuel Ochoa (1925-2006).  It includes published and unpublished scores, photographs, and other materials related to Ochoa and to his work with the Miami Symphony.  
 
Orquesta Típica Cubanakán Records, 1939-1991
These records contain scores, sheet music, scrapbooks, and programs related to Orquesta Típica Cubanakán (1968-1991?), a Miami-based group. It cultivated mainly the danzón, a traditional Cuban genre developed in the late 19th century.
 
Reynaldo Rey Collection, 1989-1993
Ephemera related to Reynaldo Rey, a Cuban popular music singer active in Miami from the late 1980s to the present day.
 
Marco Rizo Papers, circa 1950-1999
This collection consists primarily of recordings by Rizo (1920-1998), a Cuban arranger, composer and renowned pianist. It also includes catalogues, curriculum vitae, a video and other documents.
 
Erundina Rocha Music Papers, 1928-1992
Music scores by Erundina Rocha, Ernesto Lecuona and other Cuban composers of the early and mid-20th century, as well as clippings, photographs, pamphlets, programs and publications.

Baserva Soler Papers
Photographs, performance ephemera, audio recordings, clippings, and scores of Cuban-born pianist and songwriter Baserva Soler. 
 
Juan Valdés Terán Papers, 1954-2000
The papers consist of the manuscripts of songs written in prison by Cuban political prisoner Juan Valdés Terán (b.1916), along with other documents.

Blanca Varela Papers, 1970-2007
The papers document professional activities of Cuban born soprano Blanca Varela (b.1927).  They consist of theatre programs, photographs, newspaper clippings, a booklet describing her biography, and other documents.
 
Aurelio de la Vega Collection, circa 1940s-2012
This collection contains documents, musical scores and recordings of works by de la Vega (b. 1925), an art music Cuban exile composer, along with his published and unpublished writings.
 
Charles W. White Collection, 1923-1994
This collection contains music scores by Cuban composer Alejandro Garcia Caturla (1906-1940), as well as other documents related to his work. It includes documents produced by Mr. White while writing Caturla’s biography. Other contents include music scores and documents related to Cuban composers who were Caturla’s contemporaries.
Related Materials
René Ariza Collection, 1980-1993
This collection contains documents and audiovisual materials related to Cuban actor, director and writer René Ariza (1940-1994).
 
Eduardo Avilés Ramírez Collection, 1926-1985
The bulk of the collection consists of articles by Nicaraguan poet and writer Eduardo Avilés Ramírez (circa 1895-1989) for Latin American publications. Its musical content consists of clippings from Cuban magazine Pro-Arte Musical, as well as photographs of various Cuban artists and musicians.
 
Mariana Avilés Papers, 1850-1964 
These papers consist of scrapbooks, drawings, photographs and memorabilia of the Avilés family. A musical score is included in the collection: “Dos Rosas” a “Vals tropical” by Santiago Azpiazú.
 
Gastón Baquero Papers, 1956-1999
The collection consists of documents, books and other materials written and collected by Cuban writer Gastón Baquero (1916-1997). It contains a music score: “Magias e Invenciones” by Aurelio de la Vega on five poems by Baquero.
 
Ramiro Casañas Collection, 1845-1959
This collection is composed of materials documenting the history of Cuba. Its musical holdings consist of two boxes of published and unpublished music scores by Cuban composers of the early and mid-20th century, as well as one phonograph record.

 Cuban Historical and Literary Manuscripts Collection, 17th to 20th Centuries
This Collection is comprised of original manuscripts. The musical content of this collection includes music scores by Lecuona, Prats, Oréchife and Murciano.
 
Cuban Museum of Arts and Culture Records, 1874-1990s
This collection is made up of institutional records and historical materials related to the Cuban Museum of Arts and Culture, active between 1974 and 1999. They contain two significant musical holdings: the Don Azpiazú papers and the Natalio Galán papers.
 
Ernesto Lecuona, Cuban Pianist and Composer

Cuban Photograph Collection
This collection includes photographs of Cuban performers and composers.
 
Cuban Political Prisoners Records, circa 1969-2010
The records document the treatment of political prisoners by the communist regime.  They include a CD with musical content: "La Montaña. Canciones de lucha y esperanzas," by political prisoner Manuel Villanueva. 
 
Antonio Fernández Reboiro Art and Poster Collection, circa 1960s-1990s
This collection contains materials and artwork collected and created by Cuban artist Antonio Fernández Reboiro (b.1935). It includes posters for concerts by symphony orchestras, opera productions, music festivals and popular artists.
 
Eugenio Florit Papers, 1940-1998
This collection consists of documents, books, and other materials written and collected by Cuban poet and writer Eugenio Florit (1903-1999). It includes a folder with compositions and songs by Florit and other composers.
 
Gabriel García Galán Collection, undated, 1869-1969
This collection contains documents and some musical scores related to Cuban historian Dr. Gabriel García Galán (1881-1971).
 
INTAR Theater Records, 1996-2004
INTAR (founded 1966) is one of the oldest Hispanic theater companies in the US. This collection includes music scores for seven theatrical productions. 
 
Pedro Monge Rafuls Collection, 1977-2010
This collection contains records of the Ollantay Center for the Arts in Queens, New York and ephemera documenting Hispanic arts in the area. One of the boxes contains documents related to music productions.
 
Repertorio Español Records, n.d.
These records contain audiovisual materials and other documents from the New York City-based Repertorio Español Theater Company (founded 1968).
 
Luis Santeiro Papers, 1973-2003
This collection documents the work of the television writer and playwright, Luis Santeiro (b.1948). Materials include some music scores.
 
Inés Segura Bustamante Papers, 1930-2002
The papers document professional and personal activities of writer and psychologist Inés Segura Bustamante (1919-2002). They include musical scores and lyrics of her compositions.

Theater Ephemera Collection
Programs and other ephemera related to musical theater and zarzuela in Cuba and the United States.
 
Asela Torres Photography Collection, circa 1970s-2006
This collection contains photographs and published materials related to Cuban-born photographer Asela Torres. She started her career in Cuba and continued her photographic work in exile since 1968. The Collection includes photographs of Zarzuelas and other stage works by Cuban composers.
Subject Specialist

Elizabeth Cerejido

Amanda Moreno

  • Esperanza Bravo de Varona Chair and Director of the Cuban Heritage Collection
  • a.moreno8@umiami.edu
  • (305) 284-5854

Juan A. Villanueva

Stefanie Rodriguez

Music Periodicals
Boletín Música / Casa de las Américas. Published by Casa de las Américas. CHC holdings incomplete but range from 1999 to 2017. Issues #11-21 and 22-30 missing from CHC collection.  

Clave Published by Dirección de Música, Ministerio de Cultura. CHC holdings incomplete but range from 1986 to 2015.  

Fusté Show Published in La Habana, publisher unknown. CHC holdings incomplete but range from 1951 to 1959.

Guitarra Published by Sociedad Guitarrística de Cuba. CHC holdings incomplete but range from 1940 to 1943.  
 
Movimiento : la Revista Cubana de Hip Hop Published by the Instituto Cubano de la Música and by the Agencia Cubana de Rap in Havana. CHC holdings incomplete but range from 2004 to 2012. 

Música / Casa de las Américas. Published by Casa de las Americas. CHC holdings incomplete but range from 1982 to 1989.  

Música Cubana Published by Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (UNEAC). CHC holdings incomplete but range from 1999 to 2008.

Show Published in La Habana, publisher unknown. CHC holdings incomplete but range from 1954 to 1962.
Digital Resources within the Collection
The Cuban Heritage Collection has digitized music materials from its holdings and makes them available online through a variety of resources.
 
CHC Digital Collections

 José Curbelo Papers
The José Curbelo (1917-2012) papers document his band and its trajectory in New York during the 1940s. A sizeable amount of these papers has been digitized.

Rolando Laserie Papers
Photographs documenting the career of Cuban-born singer Laserie (1923-1998), including images of other Cuban musicians and entertainers.
 
Manuel Ochoa Papers
Selected images, programs, and music scores from the papers of Cuban-born conductor Manuel Ochoa (1925-2006). Ochoa was the founder of the Miami Symphony Orchestra.
Related Digital Materials
Luis J. Botifoll Oral History Project
Includes interviews with selected musicians and veterans of musical theater and zarzuela, including Willy Chirino, Josefina Fajardo, Jose Le Matt, and Jaime Garcia.

Cuban Historical and Literary Manuscripts Collection
Includes some digitized scores by Cuban composers.
 
CHC Lectures and Presentations
Video recordings of Cuban Heritage Collection lectures, book presentations, and other events from 2005 to the present day. Some of the lectures featured include music related subjects.
 
Cuban Photograph Collection
Includes digitized photographs of Cuban musicians.
 
Asela Torres Photography Collection
A selection of photographs of Cuban and Hispanic performing artists in Miami by photographer Asela Torres.
Music Library Book Resources

Loading...
Audio Recordings Collections
The CHC holds an archive of audio recordings in various formats: phonograph records, CDs, audio cassettes and reel to reel tapes. These materials are in the process of being catalogued. Please contact us for more information at chc@miami.edu or call 305-284-4900.
 
Other Recording Collections:
 
Raul Murciano Collection, circa 1930s-1990s
This collection consists of various types of phonograph records documenting mostly Cuban and Afro-Caribbean popular music, collected by Cuban-American Miami-born musician and composer Raul Murciano (b.1957).
 
Ramón S. Sabat Panart Collection, circa 1940s-1980s
This collection documents the activities of Panart, Cuba’s first independent record label, created by Ramón S. Sabat (1902-1986) in the 1940s.
CHC Music Scores Database
 CHCMusicScoresCatalogFinalVersionPablo.xls xls 

This is a database of the Cuban Heritage Collection’s holdings of printed and manuscript music scores. It has been organized alphabetically by author, and  presented in an Excel spreadsheet so that users can sort its contents according to their interests.

Notes on the scores database can be found here:

 NotesforMusicCollectionList.docx docx 
Links to Guides and Resources at Other Institutions
Call Numbers for Music
We use the Library of Congress Classification System to gather like items together.  You can browse the shelves to discover music works that you never knew existed. If you're looking for information on Cuban dance, popular, or vocal music, a quick search through the blued MLs may hold some surprises.

Music scores are located under M
Books about music are located under ML
Music teaching materials (both scores and books) are located under MT
Here is a selective overview of the call numbers for music:
M Music
  • M2 Collections of musical scores
  • M3 Collected works of individual composers
  • M5-1490 Instrumental music
    • M180-298 Duets
    • M300-386 Trios
    • M400-486 Quartets
    • M500-586 Quintets
    • M600-686 Sextets
    • M700-786 Septets
    • M800-886 Octets
    • M900-986 Nonets, large combinations of chamber music
  • M 1000-1160 Orchestra
  • M1495-5000 Vocal Music
  • M1497-1998 Secular Vocal Music
  • M1999-2199 Sacred Vocal Music
ML Literature on Music
  • ML62-90 Musician’s writings
  • ML100-109 Dictionaries, Encyclopedias
  • ML112.8-158.8 Bibliography
  • ML159-3775 History and criticism
  • ML410 Biography
  • ML430-455 Composition
  • ML459-1380 Instruments and instrumental music
  • ML1400-3275 Vocal music
  • ML3400-3465 Dance music
  • ML3469-3541 Popular music
  • ML3544-3775 National music
  • ML3800-3923 Philosophy and physics of music
MT Musical Instruction and Study
  • MT1-5 History and criticism
  • MT5.5-7 Music theory
  • MT40-67 Composition
  • MT68 Improvisation, Accompaniment, Transposition
  • MT70-74 Instrumentation and orchestration
  • MT90-146 Analysis and appreciation
  • MT170-810 Instrumental techniques
  • MT820-915 Singing and vocal technique
  • MT918-948 School music
  • MT955-956 Musical theater
Note:  Music library sound and video recordings use a separate classification system.


Source
Citing Music Scores

Loading...

Powered by SubjectsPlus