El Cubanito

Santa Cruz de Tenerife · Category: Literature · Subcategory: Literary fragments · Year: 1966 · Authors: Nicolás Mingorance Camacho

On General Serrano street in the Duggi neighbourhood was born Nicolás Mingorance Camacho (Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 18 February 1928 – 11 February 2024), member, lyricist (or "letrero" as he called himself) and author of much of the songs (including El Cubanito ) that make up the repertoire of the most famous murga of the Canary Islands carnivals: the Afilarmónica Ni Fú-Ni Fá .

El Cubanito is a satirical and humorous song that is an inseparable part of the city's carnival cultural heritage. It is a lighthearted version of the song of the same name by Cuban singer Miguelito Valdés.

The Ni Fú-Ni Fá premiered the song for the first time at the Winter Festivities (the name given to the carnivals censored by the Franco regime) in 1966. Nicolás Mingorance (who had been with the group for three years and remained active until 2002) presented the lyrics to the director of the “Fufa” Enrique González and to Navarrito, the other lyricist. From the start they realised it would be a sure success. The theme was so funny and witty that the censorship itself allowed it to be sung in public, although it prohibited publication on paper.

Since then El Cubanito , with its simple and teasing humour, maintains its original chorus while changing its verses to refer to current hot topics. It is the song with which, year after year, the Afilarmónica Ni Fú-Ni Fá closes all its performances. A refrain that has become a classic of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife carnivals.

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