Noro Morales

Puerto Rican-born pianist, composer, and bandleader

• Born: January 4, 1911
• Birthplace: Puerta de Tierra, Puerto Rico
• Died: January 14, 1964
• Place of death: Santurce, Puerto Rico

Morales was a pioneering musician in New York and Puerto Rico. He excelled in the Afro-Caribbean, tropical, and Latin jazz music genres; he was a trailblazer as a pianist, composer, arranger, and bandleader. In the New York of the 1940’s, he was known as the “Rumba Man.”

Early Life

Norosvaldo Morales Sanabria (NOH-rohs-VAHL-doh moh-RAH-lehs SAH-nah-BREE-ah) was born on January 4, 1911, in the Puerta de Tierra section of San Juan, Puerto Rico. His father was Luis Morales and his mother was Mercedes Sanabria y Ellinger. Originally trained as a trombonist, then as a pianist, Morales was raised in the predominantly black neighborhood where he grew up listening to the Afro-Puerto Rican genres of bomba and plena that influenced his future musical style.

The Morales family produced several musicians. Morales’s father was a violinist and his brothers and sister played various instruments: Ismael (Esy) played the flute and saxophone; Humberto was a percussionist; José (Pepito) was a saxophonist; Luis played the violin; and Alicia was a pianist. When Morales was thirteen years old, the family moved to Caracas, Venezuela, because his father had been invited by Venezuelan president Juan Vicente Gómez to join the official government band. After five years, the family returned to Puerto Rico in 1930.

During his youth, Morales played with several outstanding bands in San Juan, including those led by Ralph Sánchez, Augusto Rodríguez, Carmelo Díaz Soler, and Rafael Muñoz. Morales moved to New York in 1935; two years later, he organized a band that featured his brothers. Los Hermanos Morales (the Morales Brothers) played in clubs such as the famed El Morocco. Not long after that, Morales moved to an apartment near that of legendary composer Rafael Hernández. They developed a relationship, and Hernández often asked Morales to play his most recent works on piano. Morales also recorded several Hernández compositions with his band, which now carried his name: Orquesta de Noro Morales.

Life’s Work

In 1938, Morales began his recording career in earnest with Ahora sí somos felices for Columbia Records. After that came many studio sessions. In 1942, Serenata rítmica was a major hit for him; famous Mexican singer and actor Jorge Negrete recorded the composition. Morales’s popularity came as a result of his syncopated style on the piano. He was described as the Latin Duke Ellington. One of his biggest fans was the great Xavier Cugat, who was impressed with Morales’s improvisational skills. According to Latin music historian Max Salazar, Morales’s recordings were among the best sellers in the 1940’s. This gave Morales opportunities to play in the most popular nightclubs of the period and to appear in films. He performed regularly at the Stork Club, Copacabana, La Conga, Palladium, and China Doll nightclubs. At one point, he was dubbed the “King of Latin music” by the Spanish-language New York newspaper La prensa.

Extremely popular in New York, Morales was asked to perform for the 1949 inauguration of Puerto Rico’s first elected governor, Luis Muñoz Marín. Morales played several of his biggest hits, including “Isla verde,” “Puerta de tierra,” and “Capullito de alelí.” His performance gained him a recording contract with MGM Records. On his first MGM album, Morales recorded “Rum and Soda,” which he dedicated to the governor and a campaign to popularize the island’s rum.

In 1960, Morales returned to his homeland with his wife, Vilma Curbelo. Although he was suffering from acute diabetes, he became music director for the prestigious La Concha Hotel in the Condado section of San Juan, not far from where he was born and raised.

Many significant Latin music artists performed with the Orquesta de Noro Morales, including singers Machito, Tito Rodríguez, Pellín Rodríguez, Vicentico Valdéz, Dioris Valladares, and Vitín Avilés. He also worked with percussionists Tito Puente, Ray Romero, Sabú Martínez, Manny Oquendo, and Willie Rosario; saxophonist and arranger Ray Santos; and bassist Julio Andino. Morales died on January 14, 1964, in Santurce.

Significance

Morales was a precursor to the salsa movement of the 1960’s, which blended Caribbean music with jazz, blues, and other genres. A similar blending can be appreciated in Morales’s compositions such as “Bim Bam Boom,” “Indiferencia,” “María Cervantes,” “No puede ser,” “Oye Negra,” and “What Happened, Baby.” He released a number of albums on various labels and influenced numerous musicians throughout his career.

Bibliography

Figueroa, Frank. Noro Morales: Latin Piano Man. Tampa, Fla.: Pillar, 2007. Biographical essay written by a Morales colleague who is a musician, music historian, and college professor.

Gerard, Charley, Marty Sheller, and Larry Smith. Salsa!: The Rhythm of Latin Music. Rev. ed. Tempe, Ariz.: White Cliffs Media, 1998. Describes the evolution of salsa music from its roots in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and New York. Pioneers of salsa such as Morales are described in detail.

Morales, Noro. The Rumba King: Noro Morales Demonstrates His Original Authentic Method. New York, Rivoli Music Books, 1950. Morales describes his piano style and how to reproduce his unique sound.

Salazar Primero, Max. Mambo Kingdom. New York: Schirmer, 2002. Written by a Morales contemporary and Latin music historian, this book offers useful perspective on Morales’s place in the Latin music historical continuum of New York