Fefita la Grande

Manuela Josefa Cabrera, better known as Fefita la Grande or La Mayimba, is the most respected female merengue accordionist of the Dominican Republic. She is also one of the most famous current representatives of the Perico Ripiao or Merengue tipico scene, along with artists like Tatico Henriquez, El Ciego de Nagua, El Prodigio, Rafaelito and Raul Roman, Geovanny Polanco, Francisco Ulloa, and others.

Life

"Fefa", as referred to by her closest friends and relatives, was born in the Cibao region, the birthplace of the merengue and where almost all merengue tipico musicians hail from. Fefita taught herself accordion on her father's squeezebox, and was already playing concerts for people as respected as Petan Trujillo (Dictator Rafael Trujillo's brother), and appearing frequently on television and radio shows, as early as the age of 9.

1995

Fefita La Grande in 1995 recorded a Cd with Rafelito Roman called Merengues Tipicos Vol.1 in which Rafelito Roman was playing the accordion and Fefita was singing. They played the following songs such as:1.Recuerdo A Ramona2.La Botija3 Yamaza4.Linda Mama5.La Maya Pendia6.Se Murio Mi Padre7.La Magdalena8.Mi Mujer De Oro9.Mañana Me Voy De Aqui10.A Mi Ay Que Llorarme11.Radhames Guerra12.Yo Vivo Mi Vida13.Debajo De La Ceibafefita was born 1932

1996

Fefita And Rafelito played again together. They recorded the Cd called Merengues Tipicos Vol.2 in which Rafelito played the accordion and Fefita was singing. They played the following song such as:1.Maria La Del Padre2.La Mecedora3.Consagracion De Cariño4.Chicha5.Nonito En La Loma6.El Pequeñuelo7.Agua De Tu Fuente8.El Puente Seco9.La Balacera10.El Refran11.Acordandome De Ti12.La Culebra

Innovations and Style

Cabrera had a unique style of playing merengue tipico, a kind that only she was able to produce. Along with the early exponents of "new" merengue tipico, such as Tatico Henriquez, Samuelito Almonte, and El Ciego de Nagua, she added congas, saxophones, and electric bass to the tipico ensemble, which was originally composed of three musicians: an accordionist (using a diatonic 2-row accordion), a tambora player ("tamborero"), and guira player ("guirero"). La Mayimba was also the first to bring merengue tipico to European audiences.

Collaborations

La Mayimba's success is also partially achieved because of her ability to stay with the times and constantly reinvent her sound with the help of new tipico artists. Performing with the likes of Krisspy and El Prodigio, she continues to appeal to the young.

Discography

*"Fefita la Grande" (2006)
*"La Mayimba" (2001)
*"Todo los Hombres Son Buenos" (1994)
*"Merengues Tipicos Vol.1" (1995)
*"Merengues Tipicos Vol.2" (1996)

ources

[http://merengue-ripiao.com/artists.htm#fefita Short biography of Fefita]

[http://www.afropop.org/explore/artist_info/ID/1156/Fefita%20La%20Grande/ Biography from www.afropop.org]

ee also

*Krisspy
*Merengue tipico