Justo Pastor Vega Enríquez

An exceptional interpreter of Cuban punto who sang with singular beauty of love, nature, and his Homeland, Justo Vega was born in San Antonio de Cabezas, province of Matanzas.

From an early age he was drawn to musical interpretation and at 15 years old he moved to La Habana.

He had just turned 15 years old and life lay before him as a question mark. He begins working as a laborer on public works. The work is hard but his will is unbreakable and he perseveres. He would spend years at this task under the blazing sun, afterward he would work briefly in a lumber warehouse and more than a year in the ice factory La Tropical. The reduction of personnel at this factory leaves him unemployed again and he begins another arduous job search. He finally manages to get work in a cafeteria as a clerk, working twelve hours a day and also performing cleaning duties.

In 1934 he began his radio career with the quartet Trovadores Cubanos composed by his brother Bernardo, Pedro Guerra, Alejandro Agustín and himself, dedicating themselves to two concerts in La Habana and in towns throughout the interior in competition with the ensemble of Patricio Lastra.

To advertise, he rents an hour on the CMQ radio station from García Serra, and to pay for the radio he seeks advertisements from commercial houses which more than covers the rental. Both the radio hour and the concerts become astonishing triumphs. This leads Justo to decide to organize a gathering of improvisational poets in the Jardines de la Tropical and he submits the pertinent request, but it is denied by the Administration.

In 1939 he enters to direct advertising for the cigar firm Partagás, where he remains for 14 years. The invention of the famous little Partagás house is his, which on a vehicle and filled with streamers goes from town to town followed by crowds and admiration, simultaneously he directs the Partagás hour on COCO which achieves an unparalleled radio audience. Here he introduces radio innovations of great acceptance by the population. El correo del amor, in which through correspondence addressed to the station young people can correspond and meet personally, is the cause of many happy marriages.

The implementation of technically directed advertising agencies leads the owner of Partagás cigars to opt for this scientific system and decide to end the propaganda and the other poets who collaborate with him; but the Partagás firm places him as a cart driver in its factory. He would spend six more years there.

Although he continued his work, Justo did not abandon improvisation. He sustains memorable poetic competitions, directs radio programs, always with continued success and for his exemplary life the people name him the gentleman of the Cuban décima. Being one of the most popular Cuban improvisational poets.

For years he cultivated the guajira décima and shared the controversies –which became famous– with another great figure of Cuban punto: Adolfo Alfonso.

Justo Vega was founder and prominent figure of the television program Palmas y Cañas, and participated in festivals of Cuban and Latin American music.

He died on January 13, 1993 at the age of 93.