Elito Revé y su Charangón

Elito Revé y su Charangón is one of the most influential orchestras in Cuban music history. Founded in the mid-1950s in Havana by Elio Revé Matos, a timbalero from Guantánamo, the band is regarded as a genuine "school" for Cuban musicians — alumni include legends like Chucho Valdés and Juan Formell of Los Van Van. Known as the "father of changüí," Elio Revé fused the traditional eastern Cuban changüí with charanga elements, creating his own style he called "Changüí 68." After his death in 1997, his son Elito Revé took over leadership. Elito himself started as the band's pianist and arranger and continues the legacy with his own gruff, distinctive voice. Under his direction, the orchestra swings through rumba, guaguancó, timba, salsa and merengue. Albums such as "De qué estamos hablando" (2011) won the Cubadisco Grand Prize, while collaborations with Gilberto Santa Rosa and Telmary show the band's stylistic openness. For decades, Elito Revé y su Charangón has toured internationally, bringing the authentic energy of Cuban dance orchestras to stages worldwide.