- Bola de Nieve
Bola de Nieve ('Snowball'), born Ignacio Jacinto Villa, (
Guanabacoa ,11 September 1911 –Mexico City ,2 October 1971), was a successful Cuban singer-pianist and songwriter. His round black face earnt him the nickname by which he was always known. [http://bostonphoenix.com/boston/movies/trailers/documents/03262043.asp Review of documentary film "Bola de Nieve" by Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix, October 24, 2003] ]Villa studied at the Mateu Conservatoire of Havana. He worked as a chauffeur and played piano for silent films until his friend
Rita Montaner took him on as an accompanist in the early 1930s. [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/news/article/33364/moved-by-spirits-cubas-musical-legends-still-alive-in-todays-music/ "Moved by spirits: Cuba's musical legends still alive in today's music" by Jordan Levin, McClatchy Newspapers, April 19 2007] ] After Montaner returned to Cuba, Villa remained in Mexico and developed an original performance style as a pianist and singer. He was an elite rather than a popular figure, a sophisticated cabaret stylist known for ironic patter, subtle musical interpretation, with a repertoire that included songs in French, English, Catalan, Portuguese and Italian. He toured widely in Europe and the Americas, and his friends includedAndres Segovia andPablo Neruda . He was black and gay, self-confident in his personality, and was accepted for what he was: a memorable talent.He was the subject of a 2003 documentary which includes interviews with fellow musicians, friends, relatives, and experts. [Depestre Catony, Leonardo 1990. "Cuatro musicos de una villa". Letras Cubanas, La Habana. Biographies of four musicians from Guanabacoa:
Ernesto Lecuona , Rita Montaner, Bola de Nieve and Juan Arrondo.]References
External links
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*allmusicguide | id=11:jxfoxqr5ld6e
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