# Lázaro Cortés, Son of El Tosco, Will Continue Leading NG La Banda

**Date:** 05/30/2022

Cuban pianist and flutist Lázaro Cortés is the new director of the orchestra NG La Banda following the death of his father José Luis Cortés, known as El Tosco.

Lázaro has been with the group for nearly 15 years and is also part of it alongside another daughter of the distinguished flutist, Baby Cortés.

"Lázaro joined the group through his father after finishing his music studies. With the direction of NG La Banda, the instrumentalist joins the list of musicians who have continued the work of their parents and the leadership of their orchestras," he commented.
NG La Banda not only remains active, but has set its sights on preserving and renewing the legacy of its founder, the recently deceased José Luis Cortés, El Tosco.

This past weekend, under the direction of Lázaro Cortés, the orchestra resumed its performances, with a first stop at the Casa de la Música de Galiano.

A review of the group's extensive repertoire demonstrated the continued relevance of José Luis's orchestrations and their intact impact on dancers.

Lázaro Cortés explained that this will be the foundation of the orchestra's new phase: "My father didn't make music to have an impact one day and that's it; his philosophy was to make music, to renew music, to make people enjoy and dance to the songs, and at the same time to challenge them with what they heard, because for him melody, rhythm, and harmony only made sense when they went a step ahead of what was established."

Among the support received for the relaunching of NG La Banda are contributions from the Instituto Cubano de la Música, the agency Clave Cubana, Egrem, and the encouragement of founding artists long committed to the group's trajectory, such as Issac Delgado and saxophonist Germán Velasco.

"We have new musicians who have joined those who have been part of the orchestra in recent times, and as a sign that there are no divisions within NG La Banda, our lead vocalist will continue to be Tony Calá. My father had complete confidence in Tony for his loyalty and his qualities as an all-around sonero," added the newly appointed director.

"For now," he considered, "the only innovation consists of separating the drums from the timbales, something we needed on a practical level. The so-called 'terror brass' will continue to have prominence because of the role they play in the band's sound, which is a challenge for those who are currently taking on that role."

Years ago, Lázaro Cortés, encouraged by El Tosco, led his own project, Cero Copia, in which fusion predominated. Now he faces a greater challenge, given the weight of not letting one of the peaks of contemporary Cuban musical avant-garde fall.