Marta Justiniani Balseiro

She began singing as a child alongside a brother. From then on, she performed in a large number of national venues with a repertoire of popular songs, many of them in the "feeling" style.

She was born in La Habana. She studied with Adolfo Guzmán — of whose works she later became a renowned interpreter—, Esteban Antúnez, guitar, and Vicente González-Rubiera (Guyún), harmony applied to guitar.

She began her artistic career in 1936, alongside her brother Alfredo, a guitarist, in Roberto Rodríguez's Children's Company, which performed at the Teatro Martí, where they sang and danced, sometimes accompanied on piano by Adolfo Guzmán. Later they performed in 1938 at the Corte Suprema del Arte performing as a guitar duo, with which they won the First Prize.

They were later hired by the main radio stations, such as the RHC Cadena Azul, owned by Amado Trinidad, where she worked alongside:

Pedro Vargas
Libertad Lamarque
Gonzalo Roig,
Rafael Somavilla
Rodrigo Prats
Armando Romeu
Vicente González-Rubiera (Guyún)

In Camagüey she sang accompanied by the combo of Jorge González Allué. She performed in the cabaret Rombo, with Gilberto Noroña (Carioca), Amparito Valencia and the trio Los Villas.

She performed in the final program "Te doy una Canción", on Cuban television which also featured young talents: Rogelio Cruz and Pedro Mena, in which there was a comprehensive tour of traditional trovadorismo, feeling and new trovadorismo.

In this space, Marta contributed her professionalism, her personality and temperament, the mastery of her voice capable of adapting to each type of song.

She recorded an album with Frank Domínguez in the 1960s, with works by this composer and a composition of her own, the song "Si piensas en mí". This album was directed musically by Adolfo Guzmán and Rafael Somavilla. She performed in various radio and television programs, and in many musical events. She recorded several albums, in addition to the one already mentioned.

Between June 10 and 14, 1970, she participated with Tony Taño in the VI International Festival of Popular Song Orfeo de Oro, held in the open-air theater of Slanchev Briag, organized by the Committee for Art and Culture and the Committee for Tourism of the Council of Ministers of Bulgaria.

The Orfeo de Oro was the most important event of popular music in Bulgaria. At this festival Bisser Kírov —a singer well known in Cuba for having participated in the Song Festival of Varadero with the Balkanton Orchestra—, obtained first place. Marta Justiniani and Tony Taño recorded, before leaving Bulgaria, two albums for the Balkanton label, and several songs for Sofia Radio.

As an interpreter, she expresses:
"Everything I sing I like, because the compositions in my repertoire make me feel intensely what I try to convey to the public."

She has a peculiar way of approaching creators:
"I like to talk with the composers so they can tell me how they conceive their creation and that way adapt it to my style."

On how she makes her repertoire, she comments:
"I look for two fundamental elements: good lyrics and melodies as initial steps. And, afterwards, something that has tremendous importance: a good arrangement."

According to Vicente González-Rubiera (Guyún), Marta Justiniani:
"In addition to possessing a beautiful voice with a particularly unique timbre, she sings with a pitch that we should call absolute. She masters perfectly the measure (the beat), which is a conventional product. Her interpretation is collective.

On the other hand, musical rhythm is free, it cannot be written, its interpretation is selective. It springs from the unpredictable creative faculty of the artist. She savors the rhythm and then wisely nuances it with expressive elements of agogics. These elements only have value when we use them with moderation and aesthetic achievement. Marta possesses a clear vision of these expressive means. From this derives the most complete realization of her aesthetic."

Works
My Last Illusion
You Will Always Live in Me