Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Guide to the Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros Papers

Summary

Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.1430
Creators:
Armenteros, Chocolate, 1928-2016
Dates:
1920-2016, undated
Languages:
Collection is in
English
. Some materials in
Spanish
.
Physical Description:
2 Cubic feet
3 boxes, 2 map folders
Repository:
Collection documents the life and career of Cuban trumpet player Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros. Included in the collection are correspondence, photographs, music manuscripts, clippings, awards and programs.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
Collection documents the life and musical career of Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros. The materials consist primarily of black-and-white and color photographs of Armenteros, his family and friends. There is correspondence including both incoming and outgoing letters, postcards, and greeting cards. Throughout his career Armenteros was recognized by the Latin American community and this is best reflected the awards and citations he received. Music manuscripts, performance agreements, and promotional materials for concerts can also be found among these materials. The collection is arranged into two series. Series one is Armenteros's personal papers. Series two contain performance materials. relating to Armenteros's performances.

Arrangement

Arrangement
Collection is arranged into two series.
Series 1, Personal Papers, circa 1920-2016, undated
Series 2, Performance Materials, 1975-2016, undated

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros was a trumpeter, composer, arranger, and producer known for his Afro-Cuban musical style. He was born on April 4, 1928, in Ranchuelo, in the Villa Clara province of central Cuba. In 1949, Armenteros moved to Havana to begin his musical career, which spanned almost seven decades. Armenteros worked with many New York-based Latin artists and bands including Mongo Santamaria, Graciela, Osvaldo "Chi Hua Hua" Martínez, Lou Pérez, Roberto Torres, Ismael Rivera, and Israel "Cachao" López. He died on January 6, 2016 in a nursing home in Mohegan Lake, New York at the age of eighty-seven.

Administration

Author
Vanessa Broussard-Simmons
Processing Information
Collection processed by Vanessa Broussard- Simmons, archivist, 2017.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was donated to the Museum by Alfred Armenteros, Jr. in 2017.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research. Gloves must be worn when handling unprotected photographs and negatives.
Conditions Governing Use
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Preferred Citation
Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros Papers, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Materials in the Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Materials in the Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Archives Center, National Museum of American History Collections
Graciela Papers (NMAH.AC1425)
Chico O'Farrill Papers (NMAH.AC0892)
Paquito D'Rivera Papers (NMAH.AC0891)
Mongo Santamaria Papers (NMAH.AC.0893)
Leonard Gaskin Papers (NMAH.AC0900)
Division of Music, National Museum of American History
Accession Number: 2017.0214
Includes six passes, one parade ribbon, three awards, two framed records, and one trumpet made by Holton and engraved "A.A. Chocolate."

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Armenteros, Jr., Alfred Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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