The Cuban trova emerges as authoring creation in the second half of XIX century and deepens in the XX. From the beginning it was an expression of convergence of the anonymous popular singings with expressions of the professional music that has its origin in the musical theatre, including the operatic one. Highlighting names like José (Pepe) Sánchez, Antonio Gumersindo Garay y García (Sindo Garay)*, Alberto Villalón, Rosendo Ruiz Suárez, PatricioBallagas, Manuel Corona, creators of boleros, songs, guarachas, habaneras, among others, all part of the well named Traditional Trova with which it was set the actual image of the “transhumant” and bohemian composer-signer, reflexive commentator of the human being and love in all its modalities.

Certainly, Sindo Garay was a key figure in the Cuban Tradicional Trova who had no academia formation in music techniques, but he created works that are considered real harmony and composition lessons, such as: La tarde, La Bayamesa (Mujer Bayamesa) and Perla Marina. The also interpreter and guitar player created his first song at the age of 10 years, Quiéreme trigueña. Evoking his childhood, he remembered once “There were always one, two or even three guitars at home, without counting mother’s and fathers. He received his first guitar at the age of 16 years given by his brother. Sindo created more than 600 musical works having as main inspiration Santiago de Cuba, his homeland, the landscape, love and of course the Cuban woman. As almost all trova signers, he worked the song from guaracha to bolero.

José Antonio Méndez said about Sindo in 1988: He has a sui generis way of harmonizing his songs. When professors saw his works, they could not do less than to become astonished of that a man that did not know about music may use those resources as Sindo Garay did it. His harmonic sequences made the intellectuals be surprised when the canon established by the great music schools were broken Sindo made a series of combinations very persona, and above all he used the bass in a peculiar way. He must conclude that actually Sindo Garay was a real genius.

Sindo Garay was baptized as The great Pharaoh of Cuba by Federico García Lorca, and he is one of the supreme trova signers of the Cuban music. He sang for 89 years of his long life. Autodidactic, he had an extraordinary intuition. He frequently used chromaticism in correct and surprising way. For all this it is not wonder that we still hear him traveling through time in each guitar that turns into poetry and in each cord that becomes melody.

*The artistic name adopted by the trova signer, though it is strange and suggestive, is translated as: Sindo, aboriginal, clever and brave siboney; Garay, pure Spanish, verse of romance, XVI century. He died at the age of 101 years, on July 17, 1968.

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