Cuban singer Suylén Milanés, daughter of Pablo Milanés, admitted in serious condition due to stroke

January 28, 2022

Singer and music producer Suylén Milanés Benett, daughter of legendary Cuban singer Pablo Milanés, is admitted in serious condition at the Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery in Havana after suffering a stroke.

Suylén, 50 years old, was admitted Thursday afternoon to the National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery, in Vedado, where she remains in critical condition, with severe brain damage and guarded prognosis.

Suylén is one of three daughters that Pablo Milanés had with Yolanda Benett, the muse who inspired the song "Yolanda," an emblematic theme in the Cuban and Hispanic-American songbook.

Founder of the Eyeife Festival in 2017, Suylén has developed tireless work as a defender of the fusion of electronic sounds with Cuban musical genres, and as a promoter of alternative music in Cuba.

The singer, general director of PM Records, participated in the preparations for the fifth edition of Eyeife, which was held for the second time virtually in Havana, from December 9-12. In 2020, she created the group SOMOS, with the purpose of making visible the female presence in the Cuban music industry and promoting alternative trends within the national sphere. The group won the Cuerda Viva Festival award for best rock band last year.

A graduate of Singing and Choral Direction from the "Amadeo Roldán" Conservatory in Havana, Suylén began her artistic career at age 16, influenced by the musical heritage of her family.

"My father was a great example for my development as a singer and as an artist," the singer declared in a 2017 interview. In the early 1990s she performed as a singer for the group Monte de Espuma, directed by deceased musician Mario Dali, and then launched her career as a soloist. She was also the vocalist of the group Tesis de Menta.

Throughout her career as a singer, she has frequently shared Cuban and international stages during her father's concerts, and with her sisters Lynn and Haydée Milanés. Her twin sister Liam is a music producer and resides in Madrid.

Pablo Milanés, who will turn 79 in a few days, is currently on the "Días de luz" tour that has taken him to stages in the United States, Portugal and Spain since late 2021.