Antonio Víctor Pera Quintana

Antonio Pera. Born in Santiago de Cuba, actor and broadcaster by profession, who also worked at the National Television News as part of the founding collective of the program.

He began his professional life on February 2, 1939 at the Santiago radio station, CMCK (1400 Khz.). This was a very small radio station where the broadcaster dedicated himself to performing several operations simultaneously, such as being the operator of the transmitter, the control booth, and the studio.

He also worked at the Oriental Radio Network, which started with CMKW as its main plant and later installed repeaters in different places throughout the country and finally operated from Havana. He was also part of the Oriental Radio Network, where he remained until the end of 1948.

Pera worked with highly talented artists in national radio and television such as Juan Carlos Romero (El Juanca) remembered for the popular radio program "Alegrías de sobremesa" which is still heard on Radio Progreso, (then director of the drama department), Yolanda Pujols, Salvador Wood, and Rafael Linares. Among the writers, Eduardo Riera and Gabriel Coderch stood out. Pera worked there as an actor, writer, and narrator.

At the end of 1948, the Oriental Radio Network decided to found a small radio station in Santiago de Cuba, Reloj del Aire, 800 Khz., (similar to Radio Reloj) where he was appointed director. This program lasted two years, broadcasting from 6 a.m. until midnight.

The so-called "Watercolorist of Antillean poetry," Luis Carbonell worked alongside Pera in a musical program he directed and hosted as Director of the Chepin-Choven Orchestra, whose wedding was broadcast on Radio and which was attended by other artists from the capital.

The press described him in October 1955 as: "Good entertainer, voice, diction, commercial sense, has gained quality as a broadcaster. He is not the most popular entertainer in Havana, because he has not spoken on CMQ, but rather on Oriental Radio Network"; so it was not only for those who listened to him in radionovelas that competed at the time such as "Los tres villalobos" or "Leonardo Moncada" (written by Enrique Nuñez Rodriguez) but also qualified professionals took him into account when launching their radio products.

He began in television in 1958, was a founder of the Havana Channel 12 (Telecolor) participating in news programs, after the Triumph of the Revolution he worked with the late Eddy Martin (National Television Prize 2003) where he was appointed announcer of the Independent Front of Free Radio Stations –FIEL- which had its main plant at Channel 2 Telemundo, where the two of them produced television newscasts.

Telenovela Narrator
"The Virgin of the Hills" (1954)
Taguari
Parade of Joy (TV)
Other works

He continued in the 1960s as a narrator and began with Desfile de la Alegría, the stellar musical program of Cuban television. He came to teaching before retiring; he participated in Student Evaluation Commissions of new generations, sharing his expertise and techniques as a good narrator demonstrating correct speech, as well as in UNEAC forums.

Antonio Pera remained active until he fell ill; he passed away on July 25, 2004 leaving us his legacy.

Awards

He was awarded the National Television Prize-2004

Source: Cubarte