Fefita la Grande

Manuela Josefa Cabrera (born September 18, 1944)[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.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Josefa and the second or maternal family name is Cabrera.
Fefita la Grande
Background information
Birth nameManuela Josefa Cabrera
Born (1944-09-18) September 18, 1944
Sabaneta, Dominican Republic
InstrumentsAccordion

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 Petan Trujillo (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, Samuelito Almonte, and El Ciego de Nagua, 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

Sources
Specific
  1. "Fefita La Grande". iASO Records.
  2. Milly Quezada- La Pimienta Es La Que Pica ft. Fefita La Grande, Maridalia Hernández [Official Video], archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-04-04
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