Faustino Oramas, 95; singer was a member of Buena Vista Social Club
Faustino Oramas, 95, a popular traditional singer and among the last original members of the Buena Vista Social Club, died of cancer Tuesday in Cuba.
Oramas, known as El Guayabero, who was popular for the double meanings and ribald humor of his songs, was the oldest surviving member of the original Buena Vista group of elderly musicians who became international stars in the 1990s through exposure from compact discs and a documentary film.
For the record:
12:00 a.m. March 31, 2007 For The Record
Los Angeles Times Saturday March 31, 2007 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 66 words Type of Material: Correction
Oramas obituary: The obituary of Cuban singer Faustino Oramas in Thursday’s California section erroneously reported the source of his nickname, El Guayabero. According to popular legend, he took the moniker from the name of the town where he escaped the wrath of a jealous husband. It was not, as reported, from the name of the fruit tree under which he supposedly flirted with the man’s wife.
Oramas, born on June 4, 1911, in eastern Cuba, was known for his renditions of traditional Cuban pieces such as “Marieta” and “El Rey del Tumbaito.”
Popular legend has it that Oramas got his nickname after escaping the wrath of a jealous husband who caught him flirting with his wife under a tree bearing tropical guayabera fruit.
He was awarded Cuba’s National Humor Prize in 2002.
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