Luciano "Chano" Pozo González was born in
Havana to Cecelio González and Carnación Pozo. Chano grew up with three sisters and a brother, as well as his older half brother,
Félix Chappottín, who would later become one of the great Cuban
soneros. The family struggled with poverty throughout his youth. His mother died when Chano was aged 11, and Cecelio took his family to live with his long-time mistress, Natalia, who was Felix's mother. Chano showed an early interest in playing
drums, and performed ably in
Afro-Cuban religious ceremonies in which drumming was a key element. The family lived for many years at El África Solar (Africa neighborhood), a former slave quarters, by all accounts a foul and dangerous place, where it was said even the
police were afraid to venture. In this environment criminal activities flourished, and Chano learned the ways of the street as means of survival. He dropped out of school after the third grade and earned a solid reputation as a rowdy tough guy, big for his age and exceptionally fit. He spent his days playing drums, fighting, drinking, and engaging in petty criminal activities, the latter of which landed him a stint in a youth reformatory. No official records document the crime he was sentenced for, though at least one account has him causing the accidental death of a foreign tourist, adding to a record of
thievery,
assault, and
truancy. At the age of 13, Chano was sent to the reformatory in
Guanajay, where he learned reading and writing, auto body repair, and honed his already exceptional skills playing a variety of drums.
Santería During this time he became a devotee of
Santería. Also known as "La Regla de Ocha", this is an
Afro-Caribbean religion derived from traditional beliefs of the
Yoruba people of
Nigeria. Developed among Afro-Cuban slaves, the religion began as a blending of these West African
spiritual beliefs and
Catholic doctrine.
Yoruba deities were identified with Catholic saints to fool the slave owners, as the Spanish colonialists had forbidden the practice of
African religions. Chano pledged allegiance to the Catholic
Saint Barbara, identified widely with
Shango, the Yoruba god of fire and thunder, and took him as his personal protector. Both Shango and St. Barbara had associations with the color red, and for the rest of his life Chano would often carry a red scarf signifying his allegiance. Pozo was
Abakwa and belonged to the Ekue Munanga Efo lodge. Upon his release from Guanajay, Chano returned to his father's house in
Havana. Cecelio persuaded his son to practice his trade of
bootblack, but Chano's temperament was not suited for this occupation and he quit after less than a year. In 1929 he took a job selling newspapers for
El País, Havana's most influential publication, hawking papers on a number of street corners. His forceful nature and success in selling brought him to the attention of newspaper owner and influential businessman Alfredo Suárez, who hired Chano as his personal driver and
bodyguard. He was rumored to have performed duties as debt collector or "leg breaker" for Suarez. Chano spent his free time dancing, singing, fighting, chasing women and playing his drums. ==Carnival==