The International Trova Festival Pepe Sánchez to be held from March 15 to 19 is dedicated to the author of the first Cuban bolero Tristeza (Sadness) written in 1883, it is the oldest event held in the Island. It is sponsored by the Cuban Institute of Music and other cultural institutions of this province with the attendance of troubadours from different generations such as Augusto Blanca, Amaury Pérez, Miriam Ramos and the Compay Segundo and Pancho Amat groups.

The Imprint of Maceo y Grajales family within Trova Santiaguera, Life and Work of Pepe Sánchez and Ñico Saquito and Cuban Music from the Beginning of the XX Century are some of the topics to be discussed in the theoretical event.

The festival will be a homage to birthday centenary of Julio Brito (author of songs like Mira que eres linda, El amor de mi bohío and Flor de ausencia) and Rafael Ortiz (creator of the conga oriental). This 46th edition will pay tribute to the 90th death anniversary of Pepe Sánchez who created a guitar accompaniment school based on his own style

Taken from Prensa Latina


Pepe Sánchez

Troubadour Pepe Sánchez is the author of the first Cuban bolero Tristeza (Sadness) written in 1883. Last January 3 was his death anniversary; born on March 19, 1856 and died in 1918.
Pepe was a pioneer in broadcasting and popularizing through troubadours the Cuban bolero in duple time 2/4, marked by the controversial and rhythmical figure of the cinquillo, said musicologist Leonardo Acosta.

He is known as father, maestro of bolero. Among his followers we could find: Sindo Garay, Rosendo Ruiz Suárez, Alberto Villalón, Luis Felipe Portes, Roberto Moya, Pepe Figarola, Salvador Adams, Juan Che Ladrón de Guevara, Emiliano Blez, Miguel Matamoros and other important artists who felt proud of being students of the Santiaguero patriarch. At Pepe Sánchez´ home it was organized lively gatherings, in which figures like violinist Brindis de Salas El Paganini Negro , Jorge Anckermann, Rafael Salcedo, Ramón Figarola and even mambises such as Antonio Maceo Titán de Bronce and the above mentioned troubadours met. The thing is that Pepe was a good tailor therefore he was a troubadour with certain economic position something unusual during those time in which musicians suffered from hunger.

Pepe had a baritone voice and he was skillful with the guitar. Among his most known songs we remember Tristezas, Pobre artista, De profundis, Rosa I, RosaII, RosaIII, Cuba mi patria querida, Elvira, Cristina, Caridad, Esperanza, Naturaleza, Adan y Eva, Ángeles y Redondillas and Himno a Maceo.

Pepe had four children: Radamés, María Eva, Annelis and Aída. One of them recorded a disc to his father. Those were times of bohemian descargas and people did not think of recording by no means. Dad was 98 years old when he listened to his songs in a record and felt pleasantly surprised. The artists were: Martí Sisters, Junco Sisters, Daniel Vázquez, Madrigalista Chorus and Quartet Patria conducted now by Eliades Ochoa who is the president of the Organizing Committee of Pepe Sánchez International Bolero Festival that is held in Santiago de Cuba since 1964. This year 2008 we celebrate the 125 th anniversary of bolero Tristezas which was registered with the name Me entristeces mujer because there was already a song with the same title in the Copyright Office so it was necessary to change the name

I am sad because of your complains woman
Deep pain you doubt at me,
There is no love proof that gives a glimpse of
How much I suffer for you…

Taken from Cubarte

V Festival and II Contest of Chamber Music Amadeo Roldán

The IV Festival and II Contest of Chamber Music Amadeo Roldán organized by the Conservatory with the same name and sponsored by the National Center on Concert Music and the Provincial Direction of Culture in Havana City, will be held from March 11 to 15.

The Festival will gather around thirty groups and will be dedicated to the 60th creation anniversary of CMFB Radio Musical National (CMBF National Musical Radio) and the 105th foundation anniversary of Amadeo Roldán Conservatory. Amadeo Roldán Theater, the Hispano-American Center of Culture and Villena Hall from the Cuban Writers and Artists Union (UNEAC) will be the venues for the event.

The Contest will be celebrated on Thursday, March 11 at Caturla Hall of Amadeo Roldán Auditorium Theater with the participation of the 22 registered groups who will be heard by a prestigious jury presided over by pianist María Victoria del Collado and made up of violinist Alfredo Muñoz, clarinetist Vicente Monterrey, composer Jorge López Marín and Chilean conductor Pablo Alvarado.

This important event was celebrated for the first time on April 2005 by the initiative of a group of students and professors from Amadeo Roldán Conservatory who wanted to retake the competition for middle level students that had disappeared in the ´90s.

Article by Juan Manuel Montoto Pascual

Festival of Orality in Cuba

The art of narrating like old style storytellers will gain importance again in Cuba from March 17 to 23 when more than 60 storytellers from Latin-America and Spain gather together in Havana.

The III International Festival of Oral Narration, or Spring of Stories, as it is also known, will have this year guests from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Spain and the host country.

The program includes a Basic Workshop of Oral Narration and a historical lecture about the topic by researcher Ana Vera from the Juan Marinello Center for Research and Development of Cuban Culture.

Also it will take place the Contest Contar la vida where storytellers will narrate personal experiences of real facts which because of their dramatic or humoristic reasons have kept in their memories.

Artistic galas in coincidence with the beginning of spring will be held during the Festival and on March 20 it will be celebrated the World Day of Oral Narration

Story-tellers strengthen nowadays in Latin America and Cuba is one of the countries with more orality tradition

Taken from Prensa Latina