Manolo de la Rosa, the announcer, dies in Havana

July 7, 2021

Cuban radio broadcaster Manolo de la Rosa passed away on Tuesday, July 6 in Havana at the age of 78, according to colleagues and workers of the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television (ICRT).

Numerous social media profiles reported the news, without specifying the cause of his death.

"With great sadness I receive the news of the passing of the great broadcasting professional Manolo de la Rosa. My sincere condolences to Yanela de la Rosa and family," wrote Magdiel Pérez Labrada on his Facebook profile, broadcaster for Radio Rebelde and host of Canal Habana.

"May my friend and longtime colleague Manolo de la Rosa rest in peace. My embrace to Yanela de la Rosa and Malena and the rest of the family. Cuban radio is in mourning," also wrote Sergio Acosta, consultant and president of Acam Mediam Latam.

"With the deepest sorrow, I have received the news of the death of my great friend, colleague and soul brother, Manolito de la Rosa, one of the most distinguished radio men of our Cuba Grande and a good, cultured, generous human being, incomparable in his transparency and personal integrity, a stirring and vibrant radio voice, a truly non-renewable natural resource," also wrote colleague Pedro Martínez Pirez on the ICRT Facebook profile.

Monolo de la Rosa had a long career in the radio and television media of the Island. Since the early 1960s he began his artistic work, in the Isle of Pines, in amateur groups of the FAR, working in its culture and education department, and at the broadcaster in that region "La Voz de Isla de Pinos," now CMBY Radio Caribe, as a broadcaster and scriptwriter. There he met the woman who would be his wife and colleague for many years, also broadcaster Malena Negrín Iser.

Already in Havana, he continued working tirelessly as a broadcaster and entertainer, until excelling in the program Listo Estudio alongside Marianita Morejón, in documentary narration, film dubbing, voice work for cartoons and as presenter of NTV.

He represented our Institute at the "Day of Cuba," at television stations in several former socialist countries and in 1982, 1983 and 1984 he was selected as one of "the most popular broadcasters" at the national level, according to the popularity survey of the magazine Opina.

In the 1980s he worked on Spanish-language content for the Soviet international broadcaster Radio Moscow.

In 1983 he and Malena were chosen to represent Cuba in Radio Moscow's shortwave broadcasts, work through which he came to be admired throughout Hispanic America. In that country, in addition to his broadcasting duties, he wrote, hosted and produced three programs for Latin America and the Caribbean, programs for which he received a high response from listeners.

For this task he received the award as best Producer and Broadcaster of programs for DX enthusiasts, awarded by the magazine Nuevo Max Internacional (MAF). For 10 years he carried out this work with successful results.

He resided for 10 years in the former Soviet Union, where he did documentary narrations in Spanish for "FILMEXPORT" and "MOSFILME". He also lent his voice to the Soviet children's cartoons "You'll Pay for This, Rabbit".

Upon returning home, he continued his work in our media, contributing his experience at Radio Habana Cuba, in its Spanish broadcast, starting in 1994.

In 1996, he represented Radio Habana Cuba and Cuban radio at the "Challenges" event, held in Saint John, Newfoundland, convened by Radio Canada International.

In 2003, he was invited to the "Ninth Meeting of Mexican Radio Listeners and DX Enthusiasts," in the state of Hidalgo.

From 1996 to 2006 he collaborated with Radio Rebelde programs and in 2008 he retired, but maintaining his collaboration with Radio Habana Cuba. Also that year, he attended the "First Hispanic American Scientific Meeting of Broadcasting," as a member of its organizing committee.

Manolo de la Rosa was worthy of the status of Artist of Merit in radio and television from ICRT in 2009. A well-deserved tribute to his career.