Orlando Lopez – “Redencion” from the album “Cachaito”

Born in Havana on February 2, 1933 Orlando was nicknamed Cachaíto (“little Cachao”) after his uncle, the famous bassist and innovator of mambo music Israel “Cachao” López.

He first became involved in music when he was nine years old and by the time he was eleven he was involved with an orchestra with his aunt.

He initially wanted to play the violin, but his grandfather insisted he take up the double bass, as there had been a long tradition of bassists in the López family.

When he was 17 he replaced his uncle as the bassist with Antonio Arcaño y Sus Maravillas.

In 1996 he was hired by Juan de Marcos González for his Afro-Cuban All Stars and became signed to World Circuit, and became a member of the resulting Buena Vista Social Club

Orlando died in a Cuban hospital on 9 February 2009, of complications from prostate surgery aged 76.

1. Siempre Con Swing (intro), 2. Redencion, 3. Mis Dos Pequenas, 4. A Gozer el Tumbaq, 5. Cachaito in Laboratory, 6. Tumbao No.5, 7. Conversacion, 8. Tumbanga, 9. Oracion Lucumi, 10. Wahira, 11. Anais, 12. La Negra

Orlando Lopez – bass; Miguel Diaz – congas, percussion; Amadito Valdes – timbales; Carlos Gonzalez – bongos; Alejandro Pichardo – guiro, claves; Bigga Morrison – Hammond organ, clavinet; Manuel Galban  – electric guitar; Jesus Ramos – trombone; Policarpo Tamayo – flute; Demetrio Muniz – string arrangement; Pedro Depestra, Ariel Sarduy, Humberto Legat, Gerardo Garcia, Javier Filiu, Silvio Duquesne, Rogelio Martinez, Hugo Cruz – violins; Jose Maron, Angel Zaldivar, , Roberto Herrera Diaz, Enrique Navarro Galces – violas; Roy Avila, Arelis Zaldivar – cellos