THE TIME - THE 1960s The height of Cold War xenophobia between the United States and Cuba. THE PLACE - HAVANA Against the backdrop of the Bay of Pigs Invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis, four youths from the tough, musical district of Cayo Hueso decide to form a vocal group. 3
or those whose lives they briefly touched, Los Zafiros (The Sapphires) are legends. A musical phenomenon molded by their time and place, Los Zafiros caused a sensation at home and beyond. Their success on the island s pop charts and countless televised performances made them The Beatles of 1960s Cuba. Thirty years after their breakup, fans around the world wonder whatever happened to the singing youths from Havana. 4 Miguel Cancio and Manuel Galbán Though they enjoyed international acclaim, touring widely throughout Europe, the group has remained in relative obscurity within the United States. Ironically, their brilliant mix of American-inspired doo-wop touched by Afro-Cuban rhythms, son, salsa and other traditional Latin forms can best be described as World Music before there was World Music. The feature documentary Los Zafiros: Music From The Edge Of Time explores the history of the group through the memories of surviving Zafiros members Manuel Galbán and Miguel Cancio as they are reunited in Havana. They visit the people and places that contributed to Los Zafiros success and pay tribute to their deceased bandmates Ignacio Elejalde, Leoncio Kike Morúa and Eduardo El Chino Hernández. 5
In December 2001, Galbán and Cancio joined onetime collaborators Bernardo Chori Garcia, Roberto Garcia and Orlando Cachaito Lopez for a special recording session at Havana s famed EGREM Studios, marking the first time the two former Zafiros had played together in over 30 years. Additional musical performances by friends and family members, including Cuban artist Oscar Aguirre de Fontana and tribute group Los Nuevos Zafiros, highlight Los Zafiros contributions to the lexicon of Caribbean music. In evoking the Cuban post-revolutionary era, this soundtrack presents a vivid and moving portrait of a unique musical group that existed on the edge of time. far right, top to bottom: Orlando Cachaito Lopez, Miguel Cancio, Roberto Garcia 6 XX
1} MÚSICA Y ESTRELLAS TV Hostess 2} LA CAMINADORA Performed by Los Zafiros (Nestor Milí) Under license from Ciocan Music 3} OYE NICOLA Performed by Manuel Galbán, Miguel Cancio, Orlando Cachaito Lopez, Roberto Garcia and Bernardo Chori Garcia (Manuel Galbán) Courtesy of Manuel Galbán & World Circuit Records 4} HERMOSA HABANA Performed by Los Zafiros (Rolando Vergara) Under license from Ciocan Music 5} THE 1960s SOUND MONTAGE 6} ESTO NO TIENE BATA Performed by Los Papines 7} CONGO LERI Performed by Los Zafiros (Armando Medina) Under license from World Circuit Records 8} Y SABES BIEN Performed by Los Zafiros (José Roblés Diaz) Courtesy of José Roblés Diaz Estate, under license from World Circuit Records 9} HERIDO DE SOMBRAS Performed by Los Zafiros (Pedro Vega Francia) Under license from World Circuit Records 10} HERIDO DE SOMBRAS Performed by Los Nuevos Zafiros (Pedro Vega Francia) 11} OFELIA (UN NOMBRE DE MUJER) Performed by Los Nuevos Zafiros with Manuel Galbán and Miguel Cancio (Guillermo Belén Pacheco/Benigno Castillo) Courtesy of Guillermo Belén Pacheco 12} PERDONAME, MI AMOR Performed by Los Nuevos Zafiros (Miguel Cancio) Courtesy of Miguel Cancio 13} POR NO COMPRENDERTE Performed by Oscar Aguirre de Fontana and Miguel Cancio (Oscar Aguirre de Fontana) Courtesy of Oscar Aguirre de Fontana 14} CUANDO YO LA CONOCI Performed by Los Zafiros (Oscar Aguirre de Fontana) Courtesy of Oscar Aguirre de Fontana, under license from Ciocan Music 15} CUANDO YO LA CONOCI (Oscar Aguirre de Fontana) Y TU QUE HAS HECHO? (Eusebio Delfin) Medley Performed by Manuel Galbán and Miguel Cancio - Courtesy of Oscar Aguirre de Fontana 16} CANALLÓN Performed by Estrellas de Chocolate (Felix Amara Ferrer) 17} BELLECITA Performed by Los Zafiros (José Roblés Diaz) Courtesy of José Roblés Diaz Estate 18} EL MANICERO Performed by Manuel Galbán and Magda Rosa Galbán (Moises Simon) 19} TEMA DE LA ESPERANZA Piano performed by Magda Rosa Galbán Vocal section Leba Krost (Magda Rosa Galbán/Juan Antonio Leyva) Courtesy of Magda Rosa Galbán & Juan Antonio Leyva 20} CHAVEROT Performed by Los Zafiros (Leoncio Kike Morúa) Courtesy of the Morúa family/under license from Ciocan Music 21} UN MINUTO DE TU AMOR Performed by Miguel Cancio, Manuel Galbán, Lazaro Morúa and Luis Morúa (Álvaro Carrillo) 22} BAILE DE LANGOSTA Performed by Miguel Cancio, Manuel Galbán, Lazaro Morúa and Luis Morúa (traditional) 23} LONGINA Performed by Miguel Cancio and Manuel Galbán (Manuel Corona) 24} MIS SENTIMENTOS Performed by Miguel Cancio, Manuel Galbán, Orlando Cachaito Lopez, Roberto Garcia and Bernardo Chori Garcia (Giraldo Piloto/Alberto Vera) 25} MI ORACION Performed by Los Zafiros (George Boulanger/Jimmy Kennedy) Under license from World Circuit Records 8 9
DK 31783 Soundtrack Produced by Lorenzo DeStefano & John Austin A&R Direction: Shawn Amos Business Affairs: Dave McIntosh Remastering: Madhouse Mastering Artwork/Package Supervision: John Roberts Design: Dale Voelker at Digital Lava Graphic Design Editorial Supervision: Julee Stover Project Assistance: Derek Dressler, Jeff Palo Production Still Photography: Casey Stoll For ENGLISH & SPANISH lyrics, and for more information on LOS ZAFIROS: MUSIC FROM THE EDGE OF TIME, please visit: www.loszafirosfilm.com Coming soon on DVD from LOS ZAFIROS: MUSIC FROM THE EDGE OF TIME MOTION PICTURE DVD Los Nuevos Zafiros with Miguel Cancio and Manuel Galbán 11
p & c 2005 Lorenzo DeStefano/Productions Á-Propos, under exclusive license to Shout! Factory, a Division of Retropolis, LLC, 2042-A Armacost Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90025. All Rights Reserved./ Distributed by Sony Music Entertainment Inc./550 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022-3211. DK 31783