Gene Hernandez y Novedades
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Biography
Gene Hernandez y Novedades was the New Yorkâbased charanga project led by Cuban singer-composer Eugenio âGeneâ Hernández (b. Santa Clara, 1947), who emigrated to the city in the early 1960s and first sang with staple ensembles of the scene including Orquesta Novel, Orquesta Broadway, Charanga 76 and Cachao before forming his own group under the Novedades banner for Faniaâs Alegre label. Backed by a classic charanga lineup (flute, violins, rhythm section) and noted NYC guests, the band debuted with Con Amor in 1978, produced by Louie RamÃrez; the album featured Gene Hernándezâs signature reading of âNo Soy de Aquà (Ni Soy de Allá)ââthe Facundo Cabral composition that became the groupâs best-known trackâalongside originals such as âSiempre,â âAmor Para Vivirâ and âTaconea Como Quiera.â A second album, Inspiraciones (Alegre, 1979), arrived with production/arrangements by Luis âPericoâ Ortizâwho also played trumpetâand titles like âMosaicos del Ayer,â âSe Llamaba Alexandra,â âFestival de Chaonda,â âHomenaje a Aragón,â and âNo Hay Comparación,â consolidating the orchestraâs mix of charanga elegance and late-1970s salsa brio. Though studio output slowed after the Alegre period, Gene Hernández kept performing in the charanguero circuit; decades later the catalog resurfaced digitally, with Con Amor and Inspiraciones tracks appearing on streaming services and renewed playlists. Gene Hernández died in 2010, but the music of Gene Hernandez y Novedades endures as a bridge between Cuban charanga tradition and New York salsa románticaâs first wave.
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