Luis Marquetti

Among his well-known boleros are Allí donde tú sabes and Deuda.

Career Born Luis Marquetti Marquetti, he was one of the great composers of the bolero, along such contemporaries as Orlando de la Rosa, Pedro Junco, René Touzet, , Isolina Carrillo, Osvaldo Farrés, Felo Bergaza, Adolfo Guzmán and Juan Bruno Tarraza.

Marquetti was the author of the hit song Deuda, popularized by a variety of musicians within and outside of Cuba.

He reached public notice through the voice of Pedro Vargas who contracted to record Deuda for RCA Víctor in New York.

Between 1946 and 1957 he had more than 30 of his works performed by over 100 artists. On the radio in Cuba his hits were performed by Sonora Matancera, Daniel Santos, Celia Cruz, Leo Marini, Bobby Capó, Celio González and Vicentico Valdés. In the 1950s, as recorded popular music gained an audience through the sale of 45 rpms, Marquetti's work spread throughout the island. In 1984 the recording firm Areíto (EGREM) put out a compilation of his previous recordings as Un Nuevo Corazón. His music was played on Cuban television, especially during the 1980s. His songs were used for film scores in Cuban and Mexican movies from the 1950s to the 1990s. His work also has appeared on the Cuban ballet.

In May 1952 Puerto Rican singer/composer Bobby Capó broke discriminatory policies imposed by CMQ, the most important network in the country at the time, which refused to promulgate Marquetti's work due to the color of his skin. When Capó included Marquetti's Deuda in recordings he was making in New York, a representative of the network brought up the problem, but Capó refused to exclude said bolero. The song was then included, but not officially listed. Further protest from Capó and others brought enough pressure to bear that Deuda was in the end properly included in the program.

In recent years Deuda has been recorded by Cheo Feliciano and, revising a version by Arsenio Rodriguez, was included in the Buena Vista Social Club album, sung by Ibrahim Ferrer.

Catalog A ti, madrecita mía, 1941 A ti que te pasa, 1956 Allí donde tú sabes, 1948 Alquízar, 1992 Alma de azúcar, 1941 Amor en Navidad, 1957 Amor que malo eres, 1950 Aquí entre nosotros, 1945 Así te besaré, 1946 Así no vengas, 1947 Boletera, 1951 Cada segundo te alejas más, 1992 Caminito del abismo, 1954 Cañaveral, 1950 Con quien es, 1943 Cualquiera se equivoca, 1950 Cuba en mí, 1947 Cuenta nueva, 1950 De mis noches te reservo la mejor, 1992 De ti la vida, 1943 Debemos decidir, 1955 Denúncieme señora, 1952 Desastre, 1954 Desde mi carreta, 1942 Deuda, 1945 El momento que vivimos, 1947 En una frase, 1943 Enséñame a deletrear, 1941 Entre espumas, 1946 Esta noche a las diez, 1943 Este anochecer, 1966 Este desengaño, 1947 Fue realidad, 1949 Hoy que la luna te regala su presencia, 1981 Iba a suceder, 1947 Iguales, 1946 La quinta parte, 1947 La verdad de mi canción, 1992 Las Américas Unidas, 1941 Las cosas de mi tierra, 1942 Llegaste primavera, 1967 Llevarás la marca, 1947 Lo que eres tú, 1942 Me robaste la vida, 1947 Mi negrona, 1941 Mírame de frente, 1956 No es mucho, 1964 No me avergüenza, 1954 No me culpes, 1948 No te vayas, 1941 Nuestro problema, 1956 Pacté con Dios, 1953 Plazos Traicioneros, 1953 Porfiado corazón, 1951 Precaución, 1948 Promesas de un campesino, 1946 Rectifiquemos, 1955 Robaré tu propio corazón, 1992 Sabor de conga, 1941 Si te lo digo, 1941 Sigue tu canto, 1941 Son de maíz, 1941