Orchestra Aragon was created in 1939 by the noted violinist Orestes Aragon and first performed in and around Cienfuegos, it's city of origin. In 1946, at the age of 19, Rafael Lay, violinist and composer, became director of the orchestra until 1982, when he lost his life in an automobile accident. Richard Egues, Aragon's flutist since 1955, then took over the direction of the group. Considered the preeminent flutist of Cuban popular music, Egues is also a clarinetist, saxophonist, composer and arranger perhaps best known for his composition, El Bodeguero.