Arsenio Rodríguez lost his eyesight as a seven-year-old, and in his adult years became known as "El Ciego Maravilloso" (The Marvellous Blind Man). He is reputed to have begun his professional career at the age of eight, subsequently becoming a celebrated tres (six or nine-string Cuban guitar) player. During the late 1930s he played tres with Sexteto Boston and Conjunto Bellamar before forming his own outfit, developing the son montuno rhythm, which he called "el diablo." He left Cuba in 1950 and moved to New York. His contributions to the development of Latin music were particularly influential during the genre’s "return to roots" típico revivals of the late '60s, and early '80s.