Los Zafiros

Emulating American doo wop groups such as the Platters and Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers while incorporating bossa nova and calypso rhythms proved a unique and successful combination for the Cuban quartet los Zafiros. Recording between 1962 and 1967, los Zafiros (translated as "the Sapphires") gained relative fame in Cuba and in Europe, once performing a live show in Paris with the Beatles in attendance. Their singing is classic doo wop; Ignacio Elejaide's tenor leads and the competent vocals of Miguel Cancio, Leoncio "Kike" Morua, and Eduardo Elio Hernandez follow. Manuel G...