instrumento/instrument: tumbadoras/congas

grupos/groups: Charanga Habanera, Pachito Alonzo, Los Van Van (como supliante por 6 mese)

grabaciones/recordings: Charanga Habanera: No mires la carátula, Charanga Habanera: El rey de los charangueros, Charanga Habanera: El ciclón de la habana, Charanga Habanera: Charanga Light, Charanga Habanera: Soy cubano, soy popular, Charanga Habanera: Live in the USA, Charanga Habanera: Chan Chan Charanga; Charanga Habanera: Charanguero Mayor

lugar de nacimiento/birthplace: ?

formación musical/musical background: la ENIA

lugar actual de residencia/current residence: La Habana

Orlandito is a worthy addition to the family that has given Cuba more rumberos than any other. His distinguished ancestry is clearly spelled out in his full name: Orlando Lázaro Mengual ABREU. Orlandito and his twin brother Lazarito truly have "music in their blood", and they both have the same talent, musical feeling, and sabrosura as the other members of their famous family, and they're living up to the promise of the musical heritage of their uncles: Luis, Alfredo (who sadly passed away very recently), Ricardo y Jesús Abreu, "Los Papines".

Orlandito was born on December 16, 1969, almost certainly with congas in his hands, and graduated from the "Escuela Nacional de Instructores de Arte" in 1988. Upon finishing his studies he served his obligatory year in the armed forces, and so it was that he began to play with the Conjunto Artístico de las FAR (Cuba's version of "the army band").

In 1989 he has the great privilege of doing a two month tour with Los Van Van. The following year, 1990, he and his brother joined the group Sonoridad, making an extensive tour of Europe. On returning to Cuba they joined "Los Papincitos", as guest musicians in an exciting "espectáculo" called "Noche tropical", presented in Japan, where they appeared with the "cream of the crop" of Cuban music: Carlos Embale, Celeste Mendoza, Tatagüines, Omara Portuondo, Los Papines, and Alina Torres y su Dacapo (which included Vannia Borges, now the singer of Bamboleo).

In 1993 he joined Pachito Alonso y sus Kini Kini, and stayed with them for about 5 years, recording three CD's: "Yo siempre tengo lo que tú necesitas", "Ay, qué bueno está esto" and "Una salsa en París". "And then," as he puts it "I jumped ship for the charangón of David Calzado, and I'm a very happy and lucky guy to be here in Charanga Habanera. It's given me the chance to develop both my musical skills and my showmanship".

Charanga Habanera really has a refreshing show, and one of the most surprising highlights is the moment when Orlandito dances on his congas...it's really worth seeing...so DON'T MISS IT!!! As he himself says: "...OISTE???" ("Did you hear me?) [Majela Serrano]