Yoruba Andabo is a Cuban rumba ensemble founded in 1981 by conga drummer Pancho Quinto. It evolved from an amateur group known as Guaguancó Marítimo Portuario, established in 1961 in the docks of Havana. Together with Los Chinitos, Yoruba Andabo is one of the leading exponents of the guarapachangueo style of Cuban rumba, which incorporated Quinto's rhythmic ideas for batá and cajón (wooden box).
Yoruba Andabo's popularity increased throughout the 1980s, gaining exposure with the 1986 documentary El país de los oricha.Schweitzer (2013) p. 126. The band gained international attention after their involvement in Jane Bunnett's album Spirits of Havana (recorded in 1991 and released in 1993), which was followed by the release of their 1993 album El callejón de los rumberos in North America in 1996. In 1995 they recorded Aché IV with Merceditas Valdés.
Around 1997 Quinto left Yoruba Andabo to record his first solo album En el solar la cueva del humo and continued collaborating with Jane Bunnett and other artists until his death in 2005. Meanwhile, Yoruba Andabo continued performing and making recordings. In 2005, they released Rumba en la Habana. Their latest albums are El espíritu de la rumba (2013), Soy de la tierra brava (2016) and Seguimos sonando (2021).
Members PeriodMembersPerformances1960s – 70sJuan Campos "Chan" – singer Calixto Callava – singer Miguel Chappottín – singer Pancho Quinto – drummer Jacinto Scull "Chori" – drummeramateur gigs as Grupo Marítimo Portuario Zona 51981Juan Campos "Chan" – singer Calixto Callava – singer Guillermo Triana "El Negro" – singer Pedro Fariñas – singer Pancho Quinto – drummer Jacinto Scull "Chori" – drummer Justo Marino García – drummer Julio César Lemoine "El Gordo" – drummer "El Quimbo" – drummerfirst professional gig, unnamed group1982 – 1989Geovani del Pino – director, singer, percussionist Juan Campos "Chan" – singer Calixto Callava – singer Guillermo Triana "El Negro" – singer Pedro Fariñas – singer Rolando Rodríguez "Malanga" – arranger, singer, percussionist Pancho Quinto – drummer Jacinto Scull "Chori" – drummer Justo Marino García – drummer Orlando Lage "Palito" – drummer Ricardo Campos "Siqui" – drummerresidence at Peña del Ambia in Havana gigs as Yoruba Andabo from 1985 Cajones bullangueros album recorded at EICTV in summer 1989 (unpublished)1990 – 1996Geovani del Pino – director, singer, percussionist Juan Campos "Chan" – singer Miguel Chappottín – singer Rolando Rodríguez "Malanga" – arranger, singer, percussionist Pancho Quinto – drummer Jacinto Scull "Chori" – drummer Justo Marino García – drummer Orlando Lage "Palito" – drummer Ricardo Campos "Siqui" – drummer Román Díaz – drummerSpirits of Havana album recorded with Jane Bunnett in Havana in 1991 El callejón de los rumberos album recorded in Havana in August 1993 Aché IV album recorded with Merceditas Valdés in Havana in 19951997Geovani del Pino – director, singer, percussionist Juan Campos "Chan" – singer Miguel Chappottín – singer Jesús Peñalver "Cusito" – singer Rolando Rodríguez "Malanga" – arranger, singer, percussionist Justo Marino García – drummer Orlando Lage "Palito" – drummer Román Díaz – drummer Agustín Banguela "Chinchilla" – drummerDel Yoruba al son album recorded in Havana in 19972004Geovani del Pino – director, singer, percussionist Juan Campos "Chan" – singer Miguel Chappottín – singer Regla Monet – singer Felipe Abreu – singer Orlando Lage "Palito" – drummer Julio César Lemoine "El Gordo" – drummer Juan Carlos Sierra – drummer Pedro Isidro Medina – drummer Francisco Queralta – drummerRumba en La Habana CD/DVD recorded in Havana in 20042008Geovani del Pino – director, singer, percussionist Juan Campos "Chan" – singer Regla Monet – singer Jorge Armando de Armas – singer Ronald González – singer Demián Díaz – singer Julio César Lemoine "El Gordo" – drummer Adonis Panter – drummer Héctor Oviedo – drummer Michel Herrera – drummer Gilberto Wiliam Ramos – drummerEuropean tour2011Geovani del Pino – director, singer, percussionist Juan Campos "Chan" – singer Regla Monet – singer Ronald González – singer Orlando Lage "Palito" – drummer Julio César Lemoine "El Gordo" – drummer Adonis Panter – drummer Michel Herrera – drummer Francisco Queralta – drummerEuropean tour2012Geovani del Pino – director, singer, percussionist Juan Campos "Chan" – singer Regla Monet – singer Ronald González – singer Demián Díaz – singer Felipe Abreu – singer Orlando Lage "Palito" – drummer Julio César Lemoine "El Gordo" – drummer Adonis Panter – drummer Michel Herrera – drummer Didiel Acosta – drummer Lesmay Quintero – drummerEurope & America tour2012Geovani del Pino – director, singer, percussionist Juan Campos "Chan" – singer Regla Monet – singer Ronald González – singer Demián Díaz – singer Felipe Abreu – singer Orlando Lage "Palito" – drummer Julio César Lemoine "El Gordo" – drummer Michel Herrera – drummer Didiel Acosta – drummer Lesmay Quintero – drummer Derlis Zulueta – drummerEl espíritu de la rumba album recorded in Havana in 20122013 – 2015Geovani del Pino – director, singer, percussionist Juan Campos "Chan" – singer Regla Monet – singer Ronald González – singer Jorge Luis Hernández – singer Yerilú Lugo – singer Orlando Lage "Palito" – drummer Julio César Lemoine "El Gordo" – drummer Didiel Acosta – drummer Eliécer Vilches – drummer Lekiam Aguilar – drummerEurope & America tour Soy de la tierra brava album recorded in Havana in 20152016Didiel Acosta – director, singer, percussionist Juan Campos "Chan" – singer Regla Monet – singer Ángel Yanier Roque Hernández – singer Sergio Eladio Martínez – singer Orlando Lage "Palito" – drummer Julio César Lemoine "El Gordo" – drummer Eliécer Vilches – drummer Lekiam Aguilar – drummer Lázaro Acosta – drummer Kadir Yaquinay Acuña – drummerEurope & America tour
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