José Manuel Solís Fernández, a prominent Cuban composer, pianist, vocal quartet director, arranger, and singer, popularly known as Meme Solís, was born on September 23, 1939, in Mayajigua, formerly in the province of Las Villas. He began his musical career at the age of six, enrolling in the Rita Chapú Conservatory in Santa Clara, specializing in piano. He later enrolled at the Teachers’ College in the same city.

At a very young age, he performed at several prestigious concerts at the Santa Clara Theater as an accompanist for singer Olga Guillot. José Manuel Solís decided to move to the Cuban capital in 1958, where he began his professional career as an accompanist for singer Fernando Albuerne in the Salón Caribe of the Havana Hilton Hotel. During these times, he mingled with composers and performers of the Feeling genre.

José Manuel Solís Fernández has worked as an accompanying pianist in various vocal formats and alongside performers, appearing with them in performances and shows in cabarets, nightclubs, radio, and television. Among them are Esther Borja, Reneé Barrios, Xiomara Alfaro, the D’Aida quartet, Rosita Fornés, Trio Hermanas Lago, Alba Marina, and the duo Las Capellas.

For his work in theaters and nightclubs alongside the prestigious Elena Burke, Meme garnered critical acclaim. In 1959, he and Elena participated in a long-playing album titled “La Burke Canta.” He worked as a pianist and repertoire singer on the album, and performed with prominent Cuban musicians such as Guillermo Barreto and Pablo Cano. The album also features songs of his own compositions, such as Qué infelicidad (What an Unhappiness), Para seguirte adorando (To Continue Adoring You), and Es una verdad quererte (It’s a Truth to Love You).

He also participated in another album that was released later that year, Gemas de Navidad, alongside Elena Burke and with contributions from Miguelito Cuní, Ernesto Duarte’s orchestra, Compay Segundo and his group, and Rolando Laserie.

He founded his quartet, known as the Meme Solís Quartet, in 1960. It included Horacio Riquelme, Ernesto Martín, and Moraima Secada. Together with the quartet, he recorded a long-playing album, accompanied by a thirty-piece orchestra.

Their repertoire ranged from their own creations to Mexican boleros and ballad covers, bossanovas, and slow rock. With this, they toured throughout the Cuban archipelago. After their television debut, they were booked by various nightclubs, including El Gato Tuerto (O and 17th Streets, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución, Havana) and the Tropicana cabaret (4504 72nd Street, Marianao, Havana). The Meme Solís Quartet was declared the best mixed quartet in Cuba by entertainment columnists in 1961.

The following year, he founded the program A solas contigo (Solas Contigo) on Radio Progreso, which aired daily and remained a regular for eight years. He shared roles with Elena Burke and Luis García, singer and composer.

Beginning in 1964, his quartet underwent changes in personnel and format; it began to be known as Los Meme. At that time, it was the most popular vocal group in the country. The Salón Rojo of the Capri Hotel (21st Street between North and West, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución, Havana), Cabaré Continental of the Varadero International Hotel (Las Américas Highway, Km 1, Varadero, Matanzas), Tropicana (4504 72nd Street, Marianao, Havana), Johnny’s Dream, the Copa Room at the Havana Riviera (Paseo and Malecón, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución, Havana), as well as venues in the provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Pinar del Río, and Santa Clara were some of the venues where José Manuel Solís performed with his quartet.

In 1965, he participated with Los Memes in the Varadero Festival, winning the performance award for a song written by Piloto and Vera. He appeared with his vocal group on the LP Otro Amanecer, with Rafael Somavilla conducting the orchestra. This album features Ese hastío, En la distancia, and Fue tu bendido, excellent songs written by José Manuel Solís.

He also founded another quartet whose style was similar to that of Los Memes, called Los Cuatro, although their name did not appear.

He decided to disband the quartet and move abroad with his family in 1969. It is known that he worked for a time as a worker in a cardboard box factory, despite which he continued composing.

In the 1980s, he performed in Cuba at the Club Atlántico in Santa María del Mar; and alongside Tania Castellanos and the Los Cuatro quartet, he appeared in cabarets and theaters.

In New York, where he settled, he recorded several albums, both solo and with vocal groups. We can mention the albums A solas contigo (Solas Contigo), made with Luis García and Malena Burke. He also starred in the radio program El Show de Meme Solís, which ran for ten years.

Meme Solís is the producer of an album by Libertad Lamarque and another by Olga Guillot. He has appeared in Broadway theater seasons with shows such as Nostalgia Tropical (1993); Serenata Antillana (1994); Cuba Libre (1995); and Habana Under the Sea (2003).

In 2010, he was awarded the Cubadisco Prize for an anthology of the musical work he produced with his quartet during the 1960s.

He has taken his music to countries such as Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Santo Domingo. He has shared stages with major international music figures, including Celia Cruz, Paquito D’Rivera, Xiomara Laugart, Maggie Carlés, Pancho Céspedes, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Isaac Delgado, Argelia Fragoso, Annia Linares, and Mirta Medina.

Their songs are performed by renowned artists such as Elena Burke, Ela Calvo, Rosita Fornés, Doris de Goya, Las Capellas, and others. Many of them were and are part of the repertoires of numerous singers, including the renowned Fernando Álvarez with ¿Cómo pudo?; Doris de la Torre with ¿Para qué ilusionarme?; Luis García recorded an album, Distintos sentiras (Different Feelings); Oscar Martin with Algo extraño (Something Strange); and Georgia Gálvez with Vida si podras (Life if You Could); among others.

He composed his pieces “Te dije quedate” (I Told You to Stay) and “La orquídea” (The Orchid), to be performed by Omara Portuondo in her debut as a solo singer. Other highly popular works of his included “Traigo mi voz” (I Told You to Stay), “Y como sea” (As It May Be), “Destino de los dos” (Destiny of Both), and “Estos días de lluvia” (These Rainy Days).

José Manuel Solís Fernández was considered one of Cuba’s finest accompanist pianists back in the 1960s. As a composer, he has also written countless scores for musical theater, television, and cabaret shows. He is the author of the signature theme song for Tropicana.

The Keys to the County and City of Miami (1988); the ACRIN Award (1988, 1989, 1991, and 1996); the Manolo Álvarez Mera Gold Medal; the Human Values ​​Award (1988 and 1990); the Gloria de Cuba Award (1990); the Hoy como ayer-Tradición Cubana Award (2000); and the La Montaña Award (2001); are some of the awards Meme Solís has collected throughout her career.