Despite being blind, he was a skilled and versatile pianist who mastered many forms of Cuban music, from danzas and danzones to filin, descarga and Afro-Cuban jazz.
Francisco Emilio Flynn Rodríguez was born in Havana on April 13, 1921, to a Cuban mother and an American father.
[4] In 1934, when he was only 13 years old, Flynn won an amateur music contest and shortly after began to play danzones by Antonio María Romeu.
[6] In 1946 he founded the Loquibambia ensemble together with guitarist and composer José Antonio Méndez, and they started to work for the Mil Diez radio station.
[6] In 1951, Flynn founded Los Modernistas, an ensemble featuring José Antonio Méndez on guitar, Justi Barreto on percussion and Francisco Fellove on vocals amongst others.
In addition, Flynn continued to cultivate his classical solo performance, recording LPs such as Paisajes de España for Duarte and Danzas y danzones cubanos for Sonotone.
Flynn's solo career continued to thrive with albums such as Danzas cubanas and Música de Cervantes, also recorded for EGREM.
[1] In the late 1970s and 1980s, his band expanded incorporating new musicians such as violinist Elio Valdés, flautist Miguel O'Farrill, batá drummer Jesús Pérez, percussionist Angá Díaz, timbalero Changuito, güiro and claves player Enrique Lazaga.
He has influenced artists such as David Virelles,[15] Emiliano Salvador, the Orquesta Cubana de Música Moderna and Irakere.