Statue of the Mythical Cuban Singer Benny Moré Continues to Draw Attention and Visitors

January 8, 2024

Benny Moré is one of the greatest musical icons of Cuba and the statue that represents him, located in the city of Cienfuegos, is a tribute to this singer, composer, and orchestra director.

Its creator, José Villa Soberón, has brought to life other famous figures in the Havana capital such as the sculpture of John Lennon in Vedado, the mythical Ernest Hemingway leaning against the bar at Floridita bar or the Caballero de París in front of the Convent of San Francisco de Asís.

The work is made of bronze at life size on the Paseo del Prado, the longest in the island, with majestic colonnades that end at the Malecón.

The sculpture of Benny Moré in Cienfuegos was unveiled on November 27, 2004, at natural size reaching the one hundred eighty-two centimeters that the Sonero Mayor measured and weighs 300 kilograms. On his head, the wide-brimmed hat that characterized him, and dressed in the long jacket, wide pants and two-tone shoes typical of the era.

Under his arm his baton, the one with which he directed La Banda Gigante and which seems not to want to let go. His smiling face highlights his personality and his walking position seems to invite travelers and Cienfuegos residents to stroll through the city. Some say that the ensemble simulates Benny's entrance to the stages and concerts.

The Benny sculpture today is a source of respect and admiration for everyone who passes through this city. On occasions, between its bronze fingers, they place a flower, symbol of the immense affection and closeness it awakens in Cubans.

The tourism platform Tripadvisor, a worldwide leader in the leisure industry, recognized during the year 2021 the statue of Benny Moré located in Cienfuegos, about 250 kilometers from Havana, as destination number 11 among the 23 must-visit destinations for nationals and foreigners to this city.

The sculpture of Benny Moré deserves other recognitions not only for the musical legacy of this figure, but also for the patrimonial and sociocultural values derived from the effigy, embedded within the limits of the historic urban center declared Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Bartolomé Maximiliano Moré Gutiérrez, later immortalized as Benny Moré, was born in the municipality of Santa Isabel de las Lajas in Cienfuegos on August 24, 1919 and died in Havana on February 19, 1963.

He performed with the famous Trío Matamoros, directed La Banda Gigante and his music was highly recognized in Mexico, Jamaica, Haiti, the United States, Venezuela, Panama, Colombia, Brazil, Puerto Rico and his native land.