Tomorrow in Havana two concerts with the work of Silvio Rodríguez

May 26, 2022

This Friday two concerts dedicated to the work of one of our greatest singer-songwriters coincide in Havana: Silvio Rodríguez. Through different versions and formats, Silvio's songs will confirm universality and relevance, both in the interpretations of the National Choir of Cuba, this time with arrangements by Argentine Maestro Eduardo Ferraudi, and in the chords of virtuoso Cuban guitarist Héctor Quintana.

Recognized with the Special Prize at the Cubadisco International Fair, this phonogram belongs to the Colibrí record label and has the general production of Héctor Quintana and Enrique Carballea. It includes nine songs authored by one of the founders of the Nueva Trova movement.

The selection made up of: Tema de los locos, Yo digo que las estrellas, Canto arena, Santiago de Chile, Mujeres, La gaviota, Canción del elegido, Casiopea, and Mariana, is completed with Silvio, composed by Quintana himself and dedicated to the essential Cuban troubadour.

The album, which also celebrates the 50th anniversary of Nueva Trova, will be performed live by a host of excellent Cuban musicians: Oliver Valdés on drums; Yandy Martínez on bass; on keyboards, Jorge Luis Lagarza (Yoyi); Miguel Ángel García (Wiwi), on piano, and Héctor Quintana himself on guitar.

The official launch will take place this Friday, May 27, at 7 p.m., in the Sala Che Guevara of the Casa de las Américas, with free admission.

Héctor Quintana Ferreiro was born in Havana in 1989. He is a guitarist, musical director, composer, and arranger. He is currently considered one of the most relevant electroacoustic guitarists in Cuban popular music in recent times, with special performance in jazz.

Concert "Silvio - Ferraudi"

It is not the first time that the National Choir of Cuba has approached the work of Silvio Rodríguez. However, this Friday the invitation is in grand style: we will enjoy emblematic pieces such as El vigía, El necio, Ala de colibrí, Rabo de nube, Historia de las sillas, Canto arena, Playa Girón, Escaramujo, Quién fuera, Canción para mi soldado, Te amaré, and Unicornio.

The Church of San Francisco de Paula will be the stage, and Maestro Ferraudi will also arrive there, recognized arranger, composer, and director of the chamber vocal groups Vocal Consonante, the Choir of ECuNHi (Cultural Space Our Children, Association Mothers of Plaza de Mayo) and the vocal sextet Argot.

According to the note released by the Cuban Institute of Music: "In 2018, Ferraudi was called by Maestra Guerra for the choral arrangements of a selection of works authored by Silvio Rodríguez.

This recording project included 16 well-known pieces by the great Cuban troubadour, specially chosen for said work and which will be premiered at this concert that, under the general direction of Digna Guerra, will take place on Friday, May 27 at 7:00 p.m. in the fascinating religious building of baroque architecture in Old Havana located at number 110 Leonor Pérez Street, where there will be the presence of special guest Ivette Cepeda for the performance of the song La gaviota."

Ferraudi is also a professor of the Armonic Instrument Guitar chair at IMMA (Institute of Music of the Municipality of Avellaneda), teaches courses on the creation and interpretation of arrangements, and regularly participates as a jury member in vocal arrangement competitions and popular Argentine music choral competitions, of which he is an international reference.