El Benny

Fresh from Mexico, where he solidified his career in the late 1940s, Benny Moré was the artist who, through music and dance, drove crowds wild. A wealthy politician hired him to perform at a dance with an electoral undertone. The bitterness of betrayal caused him to fail in his attempt to assemble the long-awaited jazz band, and he broke the contract. Frustrated and under the influence of alcohol and sex, his life spiraled out of control. With considerable effort, he reassembled his band and achieved success. An old vendetta embroiled him in a police conflict in Venezuela, from which he emerged acquitted. Famous and wealthy, he rebuilt the old family mansion, ignoring his grandfather’s warning that anyone who tried to prevent its collapse would meet their end. The excesses of his past led to a severe liver crisis that brought him to the brink of death, and his doctor permanently forbade him from drinking alcohol. Against all odds, he recovered and reappeared in Cuba’s leading cabarets and dance halls. One night, in the middle of a dance, confident because of his apparent good health, he violates the prohibition and his life ends as he had dreamed: He falls on the stage, in front of his audience, who go from delirium to dismay.