Ignacio Arsenio Travieso Scull
(Arsenio Rodríguez)

Arsenio Rodríguez (1911-1970)

He was born in Güira de Macurijes, Matanzas Province on August 30, 1911, although he came to live to Güines when he was 5 years old. His parents were Bonifacio Travieso, Veteran of the Independence War and Dorotea Scull, housewife, who had 6 children, 1 girl and 5 boys, Arsenio being the third born.

When he was 6 years old, he received a heavy blow in the head when a horse that his father was shoeing kicked him, becoming blind due to such accident. An uncle of Arsenio named Catalino Scull, known in Güines as Guingo, made a conga group with several boys where Arsenio played the conga drum, his brother José being the one who taught him how to play, showing since he was a child, his extraordinary musical talent.

He was a self-taught person, because he could not learn how to read and write nor receive musical classes due to his physical impediment. He started playing marímbula (musical instrument related to the marimba) although his wish was to learn how to play the guitar. His oldest brother made a very rudimentary one for him and he started, with great difficulty, guessing the first chords. When he composed something, he would take it to Feliciano Cárdenas a carpenter who was a student at the Municipal Music School in Güines, who taught him how to play the guitar and later on the instrument that made him famous as a musician, the native tres (Cuban musical instrument similar to the guitar with only 3 strings).

In Güines, Arsenio played for a year with a musical group of Dionisio Martínez (Cosa), named Septeto Partagás (Partagás Septet). In 1931 he moved to Havana, creating at the end of the 30’s Septeto Boston (Boston Septet).

In 1940 he formed a group of son (typical Cuban music) where he broke the traditional molds for groups that played this kind of music, adding two trumpets, a piano, a double bass, a guitar, a tres and percussion (claves, maracas, bongo and conga drums) naming this musical group Todos Estrellas de Arsenio Rodríguez (Arsenio Rodríguez All Stars). This was the beginning of Cuban musical groups, whose pioneer and creator was this distinguished Cuban and Güinero musician.

In 1950 Arsenio went to New York for a medical consultation with a famous Spanish ophthalmologist Dr. Castroviejo who was in that city doing cornea transplants, being invited by the famous Cuban artist Miguelito Valdés (Mr. Babalú) who was Arsenio’s friend. The eye examination was negative because the retina was completely damaged and nothing could be done, and that same day, sad and dejected, he took his tres and composed his popular song La vida es un sueño (Life is a Dream) later on popularized by Benny Moré.

Among his compositions there are Sé va el caramelero (The Candyman is Leaving), El reloj de Pastora (Pastora’s Watch), El guayo de Catalina (Catalina’s Grater) whose original title was Como traigo la yuca (How I Have the Cassava), the peasant son Siete hacheros por palo (Seven Deities per Stick), a guaguanco-son (typical Afro-Cuban music) dedicated to Buena Vista Social Club around the 40’s and in the genre of tango-congo (another typical Cuban music) his Bruca Maniguá and Yo son gangá made popular by Miguelito Valdés.

He went back to Cuba on several occasions after 1950 and in 1957 he established himself definitely in the United States dying in Los Ángeles, California on December 31, 1970.

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