Silvio Rodríguez will dedicate his next album to Murdock, Aute, Sepúlveda, Oscar Chávez, Padrón and Tupac Pinilla

May 11, 2020

"For the Wait" is the provisional title of the new album announced by Cuban troubadour Silvio Rodríguez on his blog "Segunda Cita". It will be a "very austere" record, "fitting for these times" with "guitars, voices and sometimes bass".

Of the thirteen songs that make up this new work, nine are completely unreleased — Although I Don't Want To, I See That I'm Drifting Away, Countdown, If Lucifer Returned to Paradise, A Shadow, The Relievers, After Living, Phrygian Mode, Danzón for the Wait and Final Page; the latter instrumental— and four had already surfaced in some way: The Riddle, Endless Night and Sea —dedicated to Luis Eduardo Aute—, Here Comes the Thing and We Played at Being God —composed for the film Affinities (2010) by Jorge Perugorría and Vladimir Cruz—.

Although according to Silvio's account the songs were not originally recorded for an album, hard work is being done so that "within the urgency of the release, it turns out as dignified as possible".

According to the Cuban troubadour as well, the cover will be based on "a very good photograph" by Daniel Mordzinsky.

This work has enormous importance for the musician, given that it is dedicated, as he himself explains, "to the memory of several friends", among them, Les Luthiers member Marcos Mundstock -Argentine actor and musician who passed away on April 22 at the age of 77-, and Luis Eduardo Aute, the versatile Spanish artist -who died on April 4 at the age of 76-, with whom Rodríguez recorded a joint album titled Hand to Hand, released in 1993.

"I dedicate it to excellent creators that the world has lost in the last month. Infinite thanks to everyone," the artist wrote in a post on his Instagram account.

Likewise, among those honored by Rodríguez are also the writer, journalist and filmmaker Luis Sepúlveda; and two Cuban artists: sociologist and filmmaker Tupac Pinilla Núñez and cartoonist and filmmaker Juan Padrón Blanco.

The complete album will be presented on June 12 through "the main digital platforms", the author indicated in a statement from his record company, Ojalá studios. Before that, between mid-May and early June, four singles from the album will be released: The Riddle, Endless Night and Sea (May 22), Here Comes the Thing (May 29) and Danzón for the Wait (June 5).

Silvio Rodríguez's new work brings together songs he has been composing over the last few years. "In all cases they are first versions, made shortly after composing them," he noted. He added that the instruments and voices heard on the album are entirely "him".

Only three of the songs had been previously released: We Played at Being God (2010), which accompanied the credits of the film Affinities, by Jorge Perugorría and Vladimir Cruz; Here Comes the Thing (2016), performed at multiple concerts in Havana neighborhoods, and Endless Night and Sea (2017), dedicated to his "dear friend" Eduardo Aute.

In addition to the Spaniard, the Chilean novelist and the Argentine musician, Rodríguez dedicates the album to three other "excellent creators that the world has lost in the last month": psychologist and Cuban-Hispanic filmmaker Tupac Pinilla Núñez, cartoonist and island filmmaker Juan Padrón Blanco and Mexican singer, actor and composer Óscar Chávez.

Rodríguez's last album dates from 2015, is titled Amours and is made up of songs composed in the sixties and seventies.