Effective period / Period of releases: 1992

Members: Jorge Varona, Fernando Alvarez, Beny Moré, Generoso Jimenez, Eduardo Cabrera, Lázaro Valdés (2), Enrique Benítez (3)

With his fame and the prestige of his name, it was not difficult for Benny to group, for the months of July and August 1953, some of the best instrumentalists in the country, in order to form his first "Banda Gigante". The first participants of his orchestra were Ignacio Cabrera, "Cabrerita" (pianist and arranger); Miguel Franca, Santiago Peñalver, Roberto Barreto and Virgilio Bizama (saxophones); Alfredo Santiago, "Chocolate Armenteros", Rigoberto Jiménez and Domingo Corbacho (trumpets); José Miguel (trombone); Alberto Limonta (double bass); Rolando Laserie (Drums); Clemente Piquero, Chicho (bongó); Tabaquito (tumbadora) and Fernando Álvarez and Enrique Benítez (singers – coro) The first rehearsals were held at a place in the Avenida Infanta and Pedroso, in the Barrio del Cerro, because of the excellent quality of the musicians and the arrangements, since the initial rehearsals the sound of the orchestra was impressive and, as it is said among musicians, "a lo macho"