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up the Panamanian Carnivals with Pérez Prado .
Pérez Prado arrived to Mexico at the end of 1948 , thanks to the invitation from his partner Kiko Mendive . The key behind his success was Mariano Rivera Conde , who made Pérez Prado gather his orchestra and started recording his first two songs : Qué Rico Mambo , and Macombe y José .
The Panamanian musician Martín Cevallos tells : “ Look , Benny Moré arrived to Colón during the 4Os , over here in Calle 12 , where Luis Alarcón was in charge of Orquesta Imperial . He was one of those outgoing persons when it came to music . The truth is that I don ’ t know how he made it to sign a contract with Benny Moré and Pérez Prado .”
They had just graduated from Conservatorio de Cuba and arrived to Colón to play with Orquesta Ideal . I remember we were playing in calle 12 in Palma Soriano , Sunday night , and Benny and Prado came from Bolívar Avenue in Colón . They fought each other just in the corner in front of people !
We knew so because one of my friends told us when we were playing on stage , all of a sudden we finished and found them arguing . We were all trying to calm them down . I heard Pérez Prado told Benny : ‘ Look , boy , you shouldn ’ t give this number you brought to Alarcón ; it hasn ’ t even been promoted in radio stations .”
It seems they recorded in Cuba and Pérez Prado didn ’ t totally agree , so he added : ‘ When we get to Cuba , we ’ ll make arranges .’ Benny replied ‘ we have a contract , after that , it ’ s up to you what you ’ re going to do .’ Then
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a journalist asked ‘ Where is it going to be signed ?’ ‘ In Spain ’ answered Cevallos , adding that Benny Moré was already gathering his orchestra .”
Benny used to sing ballades , pícaras guarachas , sones montunos , merengues , plenas , porros or mambos .
In 1949 , Pérez Prado was # 1 in Mexican and Latin American radio stations , with his Mambo N º 5 . But according to José Arteaga , it was Benny Moré who aroused the more enthusiasm recording with Pérez Prado .
Over 1950 , Moré returned to Cuba . He worked again with Mariano Merecerón Y Sus Muchachos Pimienta ’ s Orchestra
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, in which the Panamanian Camilo Rodríguez sang . Moré continued signing in 1952 with Ernesto Duarte ’ s Orchestra , covering Panamanians like José Slater Badán .
El Bárbaro del Ritmo , according to Mario García H ., added songs like Aunque jamás me mires , Por ser como tú eres , and Por qué pensar así , to his tracklists .
He basically broke up with Duarte , and excited , founded his own big band called La Tribu . Better known as Banda Gigante de Benny Moré , which consisted of one double bass , two chorus singers , a piano , three trumpets , a
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trombone , a rhythm section , and five saxophones .
He went back to Panama City ’ s Carnivals in 1955 with Emilio Sempris ’ Rumba Casino Orchestra . They played in Neco de la Guardia ’ s Gym , broadcasted by Radio Panamericana .
Benny also performed in El Bohío , having a bigger crowd than in Palma Soriano , where Daniel Santos , Zoila González , and Polito Galíndez performed too .
‘ There were five stages in Barraza . It was never a fight . People were decent ’, Martín Cevallos tells . Benny was also hired for 1959 carnivals , performing with Hermanos Paz and Marcelino Álvarez Orchestras , along with renowned singers such as Bambarito Moreno , Carlos Vásquez , and Bim Bim from Calypsonian .
Bombón de Pollo , Vamos a romper el coco , and Buscando la Melodía were his most popular songs at the time .
According to Joaquín G . Santana , by the end of 1955 and consequently in 1956 and 1957 , La Banda Gigante con el Benny performed in Venezuela , Jamaica , Haiti , Colombia , Panama , Mexico , and the US .
Finally , he went back to our country to perform in carnivals , and in 1961 he went live on Radio Miramar with Maracaibo oriental , Camarera del amor , Mi compay José , Qué Bueno baila usted , Perdón y obsesión , and others .
Panama was his second motherland , and he was always received like a part of it .
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