Alberto Muguercia Muguercia

Researcher, musicologist and promoter. He carried out arduous work in rescuing numerous samples of popular sones, biographical and sociological information about outstanding Cuban composers and performers.

Connected since childhood to trova and son performers from his native region, genres to which he devoted himself.

From a very young age he joined revolutionary activities. In 1943 he was active in the Cuban Revolutionary Youth. In 1948 he joined the Orthodox Youth. In 1953 he was elected president of the Agricultural Bureau of the FEU of the former eastern province, where he worked closely with Frank País. In 1955 he was part of one of the first cells of the July 26 Movement in his hometown. Due to his conspiratorial activity he was imprisoned several times by the tyranny's army. In 1958 he settled permanently in Havana, from where he continued his underground work.

After the revolutionary triumph of 1959 he completed his Law studies in 1961 and held responsibilities in different government agencies (Ministry of Agriculture, National Institute of Tourism Industry and Ministry of Justice).

In February 1969 he began working as a researcher of Cuban music at the José Martí National Library. Despite lacking formal music training, he possessed a good ear, but above all, a vocation for undertaking investigative work. At first, he had to read several texts (especially on sociology), which enabled him to select the techniques he should employ in his studies.

From 1969 until his death he was a researcher of Cuban music at the José Martí National Library. He used the interview as his main research technique, and recorded more than four hundred magnetic tapes with testimonies and songs from representatives of popular music. This significant collection constitutes a valuable primary source for the study of various aspects of national music, in addition to the archive of documents he managed to compile.

In 1974 he received the Pablo Hernández Balaguer National Prize for Musicology in the essay category for the work "Teodora Ginés, myth or historical reality?" (Journal of the José Martí National Library, XIII, 3, VII-VIII, 1971), in which he clarifies a crucial aspect for Cuban musicology in relation to the origins of son and its true historical antiquity.

He left unpublished a documented book about Trío Matamoros. Among his musical writings are: "About Graciano Gómez and his music", Journal of the José Martí National Library, 1-1981; "Chepín is not Choven but it's the same thing", Bohemia, Havana, XI-1982; "The changüí came down from Guantánamo", ibid.; "The guantanamo son: its origins and foundations", Bohemia, VI-1983; Rita Montaner, with Ezequiel Rodríguez, LC, 1984, and "Something about trova in Santiago", Journal of the José Martí National Library, I-1985.

Without a doubt, Alberto Muguercia occupies a respectable place in Cuban musicography. The last two decades of his life were characterized by sustained and praiseworthy work as a researcher and musical promoter.