Biografía:
Cienfuegos, 1919 This singer and composer is pretty well known as "El Barbaro del Ritmo". His name is Bartolome Maximiliano More. He is considered one of the most brilliant artists who produced the Cuban music, for he shined in all the genres. Bartolome claimed to have always had a vocation for music which was comfirmed by his mother, who said that when, he was six years old, he took a board and a reel of thread, he tied the thread to the board and he said those the strings of a guitar. This is how he made his first guitar when he was six years old. He worked as stallholder of fruits, viands and medicinal herbs. He also worked in a sugar mill cutting cane. He alternated his work with the serenades with the Avance group, formed by Horacio Landa, Enrique Benitez, Che Casonas, Mayombe and other, where Benny was the singer. He formed a trio of voices and guitars with two members of this group. He came back to Havana in 1940. During four years he lived as he could, playing and singing in bars and cafes, and “passing the hat around”. In the early 40s, the CMQ radio station broadcasted a program entitled Corte Suprema del Arte, where the artists had an opportunity to compete. Those who won were hired by businessmen with lack of scruples, who exploited them. His participation in the contest was humiliating and sharply interrupted by the sound of a bell. He participated in a radio contest, he sang, but he didn`t win. After that he sang in the CMZ radio station with the Figaro sextet, lead by Lazaro Cordero. In 1994, he made his debut in the 1010 radio station, with great success, along with the Cauto septet. He recorded some discs with the Matamoros Trio. It was during a trip to Mexico when he decided to change his name by Benny. He formed the Antillian Duet; he recorded with a northamerican multinational, the RCA. He also recorded in Mexico. He was a star in Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Brazil and Puerto Rico, and later in Cuba with his successful song Bonito y Sabroso. He kept on recording with the RCA and he became into the Barbaro del Mambo. He worked with the RHC Cadena Azul, Radio Progreso radio stations, he sang in cabarets and parties. He recorded with the Aragon Orchestra and he decided that would be the one to accompany him. He formed his own band and the first time when Benny performed with his own orchestra was in the Cascabeles Candado program of the CMQ radio station. He performed in several sites of the country and he didn`t carry out international tours because he was afraid of planes. He died on Febrary, 19th 1963.
