Fred Menendez is a Cuban guitarist and a pivotal figure in the "filin" movement, a genre blending Cuban rhythms with American jazz influences. In the 1940s, he co-founded the quartet "Loquimbambia" alongside José Antonio Méndez, Leonel Bravet, and a young Omara Portuondo, marking the inception of "filin." Beyond his musical contributions, Menendez balanced his passion for music with a career as a radio repairman and later as a cameraman for the Cuban Film Institute. Now in his nineties and residing in Miami, he continues to inspire with his dedication to both his family and the arts. ([magazine.catapult.co](https://magazine.catapult.co/people/stories/the-radio-repairman-who-started-a-movement-in-cuban-music?utm_source=openai))