The “Big Band” era had tremendous influence in Cuban music: Beny More. Orquesta Riverside. Perez Prado. I remember hearing Glenn Miller stories from my father and how many on the island collected his LP’s.
We remember that Glenn Miller was born in Iowa on this day in 1904. He tragically disappeared over The English Channel, December 1944. His plane was lost in route to Paris, where he was going to play for the troops that had just liberated France. We don’t know much about his disappearance, but there are some reports that Miller’s small plane may have been hit by RAF bombers dropping their bombs into the waters of the channel, or the “friendly fire” theory. In other words, he was at the wrong place at the wrong time.
I always think of my late father when I hear about Glenn Miller’s music. One of his many recordings was “Always in my heart” by Ernesto Lecuona.
Yes, my dad loved big band music. He listened to classical and big band. He would often get emotional while listening. I always wondered if it was the music itself or the memories of Cuba the music invoked..