Patreon Song of the Month: “El Manisero (The Peanut Vendor)”
Learn to play this classic Cuban son-pregon through a remarkable solo-guitar arrangement by guitarist Ñico Rojas.
We recently ran an arrangement of the classic Cuban tune “El Manisero” (“The Peanut Vendor”) in Acoustic Guitar’s sister publication Ukulele magazine (see the Summer 2026 issue), and not long afterward came across a remarkable solo-guitar recording by the Cuban guitarist Ñico Rojas.
Written by Cuban composer Moisés Simons, “El Manisero” is a son-pregón—a song built around the cry of a street vendor. The tune became an international sensation after Don Azpiazú and his Havana Casino Orchestra recorded it in 1930, helping set off a craze for Cuban music in the U.S. and Europe.
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Born José Antonio Rojas, Rojas (1921–2008) was largely self-taught on guitar and, unusually, also worked professionally as a hydraulic engineer. In 1940s Havana he was part of the circle around filin, the Cuban movement that absorbed jazz harmony into popular song. Rojas’ guitar music drew equally from Cuban popular traditions, jazz, and classical music, and could get dazzlingly virtuosic.
This dropped-D solo version of “El Manisero” is a great example. In under three minutes, Rojas packs in so much guitar, moving through complex jazz reharmonizations alongside more straightforward diatonic passages, sudden changes of register and texture, and extended techniques like harp harmonics—all without losing the earthy character of the tune. (To get a good sense of just how cool and complex his interpretation is, check out this well-known and more straightforward example.)
Learning the whole thing note for note would be quite a serious undertaking, but there’s plenty here to borrow in smaller doses. Take a section that grabs you—whether it’s an unusual harmonic sequence, a melodic move, or a particular texture or technique—and work it out on its own. Then see where you can put that idea to use in your own composing, arranging, or performing.
Support AG on Patreon to access the TAB and notation for “El Manisero”
Song of the Month is available to Patreon members at the Supporters ($5) tier. Once a month Acoustic Guitar Editor Adam Perlmutter delivers an expertly transcribed song to add to your repertoire. Some highlights include “Hotel California,” “It Ain’t Me Babe,” and Nick Lucas’ “Teasing the Frets.” And as the name indicates, we share a new song every month!
