Grupo Borinquen

Puerto Rican composer Rafael Hernández organized Trío Borinquen in New York City in 1925. It was the first trio of its type in the history of Latin American music. The original members were Manuel "Canario" Jiménez, Salvador Ithier and Rafael Hernández. Sometimes the trio added some extra musicians on saxophone, cuatro or guiro, and then would record as Grupo Borinquen or Grupo Quisqueya. Canario sang lead voice; Ithier supplied the second voice and played second guitar, and Rafael played lead guitar and very rarely, added a third voice.