Aqui Esta

Few Latin American singers had such a meteoric career as Lino Borges. In only two years of work as a professional at the time of this historic recording, this young peasant farmer had placed himself at the top of Cuban bolero singers. Alberto Borges Abreu, which is Lino's real name, was only twenty-four years old when this album was recorded. Although he was born in San Antonio Alegre near Batabanó, a small fishing village in the south of Cuba, he is the son of Spanish parents. He always worked in the fields, and when he was discovered by José Balseiro, director of Conjunto Saratoga, he was working as a cutter on a watercress plantation. Borges showed signs of his artistic inclinations from a very young age, singing typical country songs with one of his brothers, and performed boleros in the evenings at the public school where he was educated. He became a professional artist at the age of 16 with the JR Gonzalez Orchestra, where he stayed for several years. Later he sang with the ensembles Universal, Melena del Sur, Casablanca, Casino, Rumbavana and Conjunto Saratoga. He remained with this last ensemble for 20 years, before becoming a soloist. Lino's first recordings were well received by the public, scoring popular hits with songs such as "Alma Pervertida," "Vida Cosentida," "Morir Soñando," Moriré de Amor," "Me Hace Pensar," etc. The album presented here, "Aqui Esta," was his first ever full-length as a soloist. Today he is remembered by esteemed musicologists in Cuba as one of the most important male bolero singers in Cuban music history, along with figures such as Vicentico Valdés, Abelardo Barroso, Pacho Alonso, Tito Gómez, Orlando Contreras, Roberto Sánchez, and other greats. This historic recording has been newly remastered for this exclusive release.