Guitarists from Costa Rica paid tribute to Leo Brouwer

October 23, 2019

Two soloists, a duo, and a quartet of guitarists from Costa Rica paid tribute in Cartago, Costa Rica, to the renowned Cuban composer, performer, and orchestra director Leo Brouwer on the occasion of his 80th birthday.

The opening concert of the XI International Cartago Guitars Encounter, where Brouwer attends as guest of honor, was dedicated last night to the 80th anniversary of the renowned Cuban musician, who turned eighty on March 1st.

All the guitarists performed works by the master from the Caribbean island. First was Cristian Espinoza, a student at the municipal music school in Cartago, who performed Five Simple Studies; followed by Julio Quimballo, with Passacaglia by Eli and La cicla de Zarcaicas. The latter received several 'bravos' from the Cuban composer.

Then it was the turn of the young women Priscilla and Sharon Villalobos, who performed Incidental Peasant Music and The Five Pieces, while the Costa Rican Guitar Quartet performed Cuban Landscape with Rumba and Cuban Landscape with Rain.

All received strong applause from the nearly 250 attendees at the Cartago municipal amphitheater, venue of the XI Encounter, which will continue until the 25th.

Before the tribute concert began, Henry Calvo, in charge of attending to Brouwer for Producciones Papalote, highlighted the great honor it means for Cartago, for Costa Rica, but especially for the guitarists of this country and those from other nations who will be at the Encounter to have the excellent Cuban international musician among them and who will perform for the first time in this nation in a unique concert at the Eugene O'Neill Theater this weekend.

In its promotion of the unique concert—divided into two parts—the San José-based Eugene O'Neill Theater notes that "for the first time in Costa Rica, the international master Leo Brouwer conducts a Costa Rican ensemble performing his own music."

It adds that "the CR Orchestra will be the ensemble that will bring to life the musical notes of Master Brouwer, who will share his baton with our titular director, Master Ricardo Vargas, and guitarist Fernando Mariña who is visiting us from Mexico, in charge of strumming the strings in this great event."

The mayor of Cartago, Rolando Rodríguez, highlighted the importance of these events for the cultural development of the population and announced that the Municipality of the first Costa Rican metropolis will continue developing this type of event for the enjoyment of Cartago residents.

The ambassador of Cuba in Costa Rica, Danilo Sánchez, mentioned the happy coincidence that Brouwer arrived in this country on October 20th, Day of Cuban Culture, because it was a day like that in 1868 that the notes of the Cuban National Anthem were sung for the first time.

Sánchez noted that "with the visit of the Cuban master we are celebrating in Costa Rica the Day of Cuban Culture. Thank you for the hospitality, for the solidarity and friendship of Costa Ricans."

For his part, Brouwer—who received a bouquet of flowers and a wooden carving of a guitar—called the tribute concert beautiful and said he felt very grateful and extremely happy for this recognition.