Manuel Saumell Robredo

A musician and composer who has been characterized as the initiator of nationalism within our music.

Alejo Carpentier in his book "La Música en Cuba" noted that thanks to Saumell's work, the constitutive elements of a Cuban identity that were scattered in the environment and did not leave the dance halls were fixed and polished to integrate a musical fact full of implications. Likewise, other scholars of music in Cuba have emphasized that Manuel Saumell's rhythmic and melodic invention was astonishing. In relation to this, it should be pointed out that he is also considered the father of the contradanza in our country.

Of humble origins, he studied in a self-taught manner until, as an adult, he became a disciple of Juan Federico Edelmann on the piano and of Mauricio Pyke in the subjects of harmony, counterpoint, fugue, and instrumentation.

He had a relatively brief life. He was born in La Habana in 1817 and died when he was 53 years old. It has been stated that he led a rather turbulent life which limited him in composing. He also suffered many hardships. He was a hard worker, very sensitive and demanding of himself. He studied piano, harmony, instrumentation, counterpoint, and fugue. He played piano in several Havana churches, organized musical gatherings, orchestrated, made arrangements, and offered classes.

Married to the habanera Concepción Amegui, he had three children and, in parallel with founding his family, he developed an intense cultural endeavor. His fame and prestige led him to the presidency of the music section of the Filarmónica Santa Cecilia, in La Habana, and to founding, together with Ramón Pintó and Spanish pianist José Miró, the Liceo Artístico Literario de la Habana.

Being an energetic and dynamic man, he deployed great activity during his existence. In addition to being a composer, he performed on different occasions as a musician in activities and offered numerous concerts.

In 1939 when he was 22 years old, he set out to write an opera that would reflect Cuban themes. In this sense, some researchers have noted that Saumell intended for the action of said work to unfold on the island and for characteristic elements of Cuban popular life to intervene in it. Among the works composed by him are Plegaria, for soprano and organ: Idilio, for violin and piano: Ave María, for voice and orchestra: and the contradanzas La Niña Bonita, Recuerdos tristes, Lamentos de Amor, and Los Ojos de Pepa.

La Tedezco, Los ojos de Pepa, La quejosita, Los chismes de Guanabacoa, among other works, are examples of solid and elaborate creation, where the themes or melodic motifs proper to Cuban music, transcend the popular framework and become purely concert creations.

He was the author of a contradanza that he titled "El Somatén", which according to José Martí is the phonetic result of the Catalan words Soms Atents and which mean "we are on guard". Soms Atents was also the title of an independentist Catalan newspaper that arrived in Cuba regularly, although, of course, clandestinely.

It may be conjecture, but Manuel Saumell Robredo (1817-1870), is one of the most outstanding creators in Cuban musical history which is another way of serving one's country. Today perhaps he is remembered only as the composer of some contradanzas, which in any case would give him a place in El Parnasso: "Los ojos de Pepa", "La Gassier", or "El Somatén", however he was the author of 51 works in this genre that did much to enrich the Cuban sound universe.