Wurlitzer Organs in Cuba
By Ken Vinen
Re "Band Organ Diaspora," Digest 970129: The answer to your Danzon music quandary could lie in knowing just how big the market was for organ rolls in Cuba. I can only think of one person who has factual inform- ation on this, and that person is "Uncle" Don Rand, aka W. C. Fields, in Thomaston, Maine.
About three years back I was planning a month-long visit to Cuba. During one of those legendary phone calls to Don he told me he had all the shipping records that would show how many band organs, style numbers, dates and the rest, that were in fact sold and shipped into Cuba. We both thought it would be great fun to try and track down one or more of these instruments.
In any event, as you may well suspect, I went to Cuba and the list did not. I never did follow-up on this project because I have not planned a return trip. Perhaps you might want to take this lead and see where it goes.
Ken Vinen
[ Irving Berlin wrote: "I'll see you, in C-U- B-A !" Is anyone planning
[ a cigar expedition? I wish Don Rand would join us here, because I
[ can't afford those legendary phone calls! -- Robbie
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(Message sent Thu 30 Jan 1997, 23:21:56 GMT, from time zone GMT-0800.) |
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