Born: June 22, 1946, Loma de La Avispa, Songo La Maya,
Active: '80s, '90s, 2000s
Genres: Latin
Instrument: Vocals, Guitar
Representative Albums: "Sublime Illusion", "Tribute to the Cuarteto Patria", "Best of Buena Vista
Biography
Cuban vocalist and guitarist Eliades Ochoa worked with many groups during his career, including the Septetos Cubanos, Casa de la Troya, and Cuarteto Patria, with which he recorded two albums, 1993's A Una Coqueta and 1998's Cubafrica. Ochoa's work on Ry Cooder's Buena Vista Social Club raised his mainstream prominence; on his second solo album, 1999's Sublime Illusion, Ochoa collaborated with Cooder and Cuarteto Patria once again. Other releases include Son de Santiago and Cuarteto Patria. Fall 2000 saw the release of Eliades Ochoa y el Cuarteto Patria and Cuidadito Compay Gallo was issued a year later. The earthy and gruff Estoy Como Nunca followed a year later. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
This article may be written from a fan's point of view, rather than a neutral point of view. Please clean it up to conform to a higher standard of quality, and to make it neutral in tone. (December 2007)
Eliades Ochoa
Ochoa performing live May 2009
Photo: Juan Gonzales Andres
Background information
Born
22 June 1946 (1946-06-22)(age 63)
Songo La Maya, Cuba
He began playing the guitar when he was six and in 1978 he was invited to join Cuarteto Patria, a group founded in 1939, as its leader. Although he looks like a guajiro, and he still wears his trademark cowboy hat, his roots are in the son, and he only agreed to take on the role of leader if he was allowed to introduce new elements to the repertoire. He plays the tres, and also a variant called cuatro (with two additional strings). His involvement with the Buena Vista Social Club and the Wim Wendersfilm of the same name, has led him to worldwide fame.
In 1993 he and the group recorded A una coqueta and in 1995 The lion is loose (Cubason CORA125); In 1998 he recorded the album CubAfrica with Manu Dibango (Mélodie 79593.2); in 1999 Sublime Ilusión (Virgin DGVIR 85); and in 2006 a compilation of Virgin recordings appeared, La collección cubana: Eliades Ochoa (Nascente NSCD 114).
Discography
Lion Is Loose - 1996 (Melodie)
Sublime Illusiòn - 1999 (Higher Octave)
Chanchaneando - 2000 (Para)
Tribute To The Cuarteto Patria - 2000 (Higher Octave)
Eliades Ochoa Y El Cuarteto Patria - 2000 (Egrem)
Cuidadito Compay Gallo - 2001 (Egrem)
Son De Oriente - 2001 (Egrem)
Estoy Como Nunca - 2002 (Higher Octave)
Llega El Cuarteto Patria - 2002 (Egrem)
Son De Santiago - 2003 (Edenways)
Ochoa Y Segundo - 2003 (Edenways)
Se Soltò un Leòn - 2006
References
^ alternatively, in Mayarí. Leymarie, Isabelle 2002. Cuban fire: the story of salsa and Latin jazz. Continuum, London; orig. publ. Paris 1997. p257