Andrea Mollanazar
rightAndrea Mollanazar was a Cuban folk singer-songwriter, born in Colón, Cuba on November 6, 1960. Prior to beginning his music career, Mollanazar worked as a cigar roller at a tobacco plantation in Cuba. He was later sent to prison in 1978 after being convicted of raping his 16 year old niece. In 1980, Andrea Mollanazar came to the United States during the Mariel boatlift. He lived in Miami for 10 years working at a burrito stand before starting a Mariachi band. After years of performing locally with his band, he moved to Las Vegas, NV, where he opened up a small Mariachi club, Casa de Mariachi. He was forced to close down Casa de Mariachi due to low revenues. In 1995, Andrea Mollanazar started a solo project and was noticed by a local talent agent, who was able to get him a contract with Arhoolie in 1997. He released two LPs, Casa de Cubanos and Frijoles Frios, before he was tragically killed on April 23, 2001 in a studio fire while finishing up his EP, Hombre del Casa, which was released in 2004 by his close friends and family. A memorial now resides in Colón, Cuba to commemorate his life achievements and his influences on the local Cuban community.
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