Emiliano Blez Garbey

Guitarist and composer. One of the great cultivators of almost all Cuban troubadour genres. He was a disciple of Pepe Sánchez, who is catalogued as the pioneer of the trova in Cuba. Founder of the national trova festivals.

He was born in Santiago de Cuba, Oriente, on October 11, 1879. He studied guitar with Pepe Sánchez, whom he met through Sindo Garay.

He collaborated in rescuing Pepe's work by making the corresponding transcriptions of several of his creations. He also formed duos with Sindo Garay and with Eduardo Dorila and was part of the quintet of Santiago trovadores. As a composer he created significant boleros among which are those titled:

Corazón de Fuego
Idilio

He was part, in 1908, of a quintet made up of:
Pepe Sánchez, (director and first voice)
José Figarola, (first voice)
Bernabé Ferrer, (second voice)
Luis Felipe Porte, (falsetto)
Emiliano Blez, (accompanying guitar)

This quintet recorded with the phonograph companies:
Víctor
Columbia
Odeón

He also recorded with Sindo Garay, with whom he worked in the circuses Pubillones and Tartali, as well as in the Caballitos de Griñán; he traveled (with Sindo) to several countries, among them: Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo, Mexico, New York.

Later, with José Maturell, Juan Bori and the Chinese Cornelio (father), he formed a quartet. Blez, who had a powerful voice, sang with Juan de Dios Hechavarría and Eulalio Limonta, and performed as a duo with Pepe Prior as second voice.

Furthermore, he was part of the Trío Oriental from 1915 to 1918, together with:
Bernabé Ferrer, (second voice)
Pepe Figarola, (second voice)
Blez, guitar
His main themes were patriotic and romantic ones.

Works
Boleros:
Amoroso idilio, 1895
Besada por el mar, 1895; his first work
Corazón de fuego
Dueña eres, mujer, de mis amores
Envilecida
Para ti vivo
Resquemores
Sensible para amar
Si al olvido me dejas
Sudario de Marta
Tu luz del crepúsculo

Song:
Mercedes ten piedad, 1964