Fefita la Grande
 | This biography of a living person includes a list of general references, but it remains largely unverified because it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (January 2020) |
Fefita la Grande | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Manuela Josefa Cabrera |
| Born | September 18, 1944 Sabaneta, Dominican Republic |
| Instruments | Accordion |
Manuela Josefa Cabrera (born September 18, 1943)[1] also known as Fefita la Grande "'La Vieja Fefa'" or La Mayimba, is a Dominican merengue accordionist, and singer. She is considered one of the greatest female accordionists of all-time.
Life and career[]
"Fefa", as referred to by her closest friends and relatives, was born in San Ignacio de Sabaneta, Santiago Rodríguez, located in the Cibao region of the Dominican Republic, the birthplace of the merengue and where almost all merengue tipico musicians hail from. Fefita taught herself accordion on her father's accordion and was already playing concerts for people as respected as (brother of dictator Rafael Trujillo), and appearing frequently on television and radio shows, as early as the age of 9.
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, , and , 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 güira 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 and also Película Perico Ripiao. In 2019, she teamed up with other Dominican merengue singers Milly Quezada and Maridalia Hernández for "La Pimienta Es La Que Pica".[2]
Discography[]
- La Ciudad Corazón (2001)
- Date Brillo Cadenita (1999)
- Soy Original (1997)
- Yo Sigo Pa' Lante (1995)
- Todos los Hombres Son Buenos (1993)
- Cantando He de Morir (1991)
- Vámonos Pa'l Can (1990)
- La Cintura Mía (1989)
- Fefita la Grande (1981)
- La Pimienta Es la Que Pica (1980)
- Merengues Típicos (1980)
- Merengues Típicos Vol. 1 (1979)
See also[]
- Merengue tipico
Sources[]
- Specific
- ^ "Fefita La Grande". iASO Records.
- ^ Milly Quezada- La Pimienta Es La Que Pica ft. Fefita La Grande, Maridalia Hernández [Official Video], retrieved 2021-04-04
Authority control  |
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- 1943 births
- Living people
- People from Santiago Rodríguez Province
- Dominican Republic musicians
- Merengue musicians
- 21st-century accordionists