Latamblé was born on June 27, 1916, in the Loma del Chivo neighbourhood of Guantánamo, Cuba, to Marcelino Latamblet y Mariana Veranes. He learned tres from his father and became a very active player from a very young age, despite his mother"s wishes that he pursue a different career.
He is considered one of the most influential treseros, as well as a key exponent and promoter of the changüí in Cuba. Although he would work as a house painter and turbine oiler, he devoted his life to changüí, a music style that preceded the son cubano. He also played with Rafael Inciarte Brioso"s Orquesta Cristal and in Conchita Bravo"s ensemble.
In 1937 he joined Lilí Martínez"s group, Los Champions de Lilí Martínez, which played for the CMKH and CMKS radio stations.
Latamblé then joined trova ensemble Louisiana Trova Tradicional de Guantánamo, Orquesta Siboney, and was hired by Martínez again, this time in his band Louisiana Rareza del 43. Latamblé had a significant influence in Martínez"s piano style.
Martínez transcribed Latamblé"s playing, thus incorporating the nengón and changüí into contemporary son piano playing. The resulting band was Grupo Changüí de Guantánamo.
lieutenant would become one of Cuba"s most popular traditional ensembles and by far the most successful changüí group in the country.
Latamblé would also play in other groups such as Conjunto Sorpresa, which he joined in 1952. In 1983, popular tresero Pancho Amat visited Latamblé to learn his changüí techniques. Although it became an urban legend that Amat was unable to learn his style, he did subsequently incorporate changüí-like playing in his performances.
After retiring in 1987 due to poor health, Latamblé died on March 6, 1993, in his hometown of Guantánamo.
His legacy survives in the tres playing of Carmelo Irve Suterán, his substitute in Grupo Changüí de Guantánamo. In 2007, a museum dedicated to Latamblé called Casa del Changüí (House of Changüí) was established in Guantánamo.
