Pedrito Calvo the author of El negro no tiene ná

January 17, 2021

Pedrito Calvo is one of the most prolific interpreters of popular musical notation in Cuba. Endowed with a unique voice, he is perhaps the only exponent of six generations of Cuban soneros who still maintains the preference of dancers; he has even left his mark on the difficult genre of bolero, feeling, and jazz with a melodic timbre that reminds us of the spiritual of the Black voices of New Orleans when we listen to, for example, the anthology piece Marilú by maestro Juan Formell.

The newspaper Tribuna de La Habana has spoken with this man-spectacle, simple and genuinely Cuban, to find out what he does during this time of silence in the programming of public concerts.

"Like other performers I work at home and take the opportunity to focus on greater dedication of time to family, limited creative contacts with friends for the preparation of new songs, some of which will be released soon. For now, we are also recording songs with that way of approaching humor, satire, that identifies people with situations lived in the popular environment."

How do you select your songs?
—The lyrics of my songs and the ones I perform always have satire and humor as a condiment: I have learned to say things with double meaning, although without falling into vulgarity. I feel satisfied hearing that children, young people, and adults like it. I think about how others did it like Ñico Saquito, Faustino Oramas (el Guayabero)… For example, I composed El negro no tiene ná, because of a woman and the public took it as a matter of popular jocularity.

"I have self-taught training. Today, most young Cuban musicians study and graduate from art schools throughout the country, with high-level academic training if we compare them with any school of its kind in the world.

"In my time it was very difficult, although in Guanabacoa (where he lived) there were two music schools and good teachers. But our reality is defined by the space that opened from January 1959 onward. Otherwise there would not be such a wealth of musicians, visual artists, theater, film, television, and intellectuals in our country. I lived in Santa Fe, where there were many record players and those popular songs of the era were recorded in my mind and I have never forgotten it.

"These things I say I can verify in the cultural preparation of the boys who invite me to record new albums. Many, in their childhood, adolescence, and youth, danced with me.

"Today I enjoy seeing them because they are good musicians and artists. It is worthwhile for young people to join us and seek new sounds based on the path we have traveled in our experiences. I feel an enormous pride as a father and musician for my son Pedrito Calvo Jr, who is doing successful work with his orchestra in Europe.

"It reminds me when I had the privilege of singing on the same stage where Benny Moré performed. I was with my father Pedro Calvo's orchestra. I remember he said: 'Son, look at how he tunes.' It was about the greatest interpreter of Cuban and contemporary Latin popular music. You always have to talk about these worthwhile things; omitting them would be ignorance.

"Musicians like David Blanco catalog me as the Big Jazz of Cuba. However, personally, I defend that my strength is romantic song and mischievousness. I learned it from my mother Antonia Rojas. I believe that one should venture into what one can, even the country music that I like so much and have to be able to do. Whoever sings and feels brave can do it… Never say no."