Moncada is still on Cubans' preference.
Good Bye to Keyboard.
Jorge Gómez, affable, reflexive, loquacious... is narrating a history pretty unknown for the Cuban public.
The Seed.
Moncada's Birth
La Escalinata

After 30 years of its foundation and holding an amazing history, its music is an ever-lasting surprise.

The sentence from his grandmother Virginia marked this man forever: ''Look, my son, when someone dies as he wish, and there are few persons achieving this, we must remember him with joy, not sorrow''.

Moncada is still on Cubans' preference.

Jorge Gómez Barranco (08-01-1943), director of Moncada musical group, since its creation three decades ago, became a transmitter by excellence. His naturalness, easygoing character and sharp thoughts, provoke on the speakers, that singular desire of keeping on the conversation.

That was precisely what happened to me, that morning in which the midsummer grew up to unbearable levels. For a work supported, enriched and adequated according to times, without abandoning the genesis, was well worth the effort. Bohemia in is monthy publication accepted it.

''I was always fond of music'', he confessed. ''I can`t deny the valuable influence of my uncle, a young man having scarcely 23 years old, good-looking guy, eternal lover, loquacious, writer... he became a paradigm due to the influence of his personality and firm principles. Raúl Gómez García, the revolutionary poet who died fighting on Moncada Cuartel assault, in Santiago de Cuba, during Cuban people struggle against Batista tyrany, is still living among us with his frank smile, bright verses and love for his homeland, which I, at that, never suspected''.

Piano, the sweat nad retless grandmother, Raúl`s heritage... and six pesos paid by an aunt to Zelaida, music professor, made Jorge start to walk by the route of pentagram: Chopin, Litz, Beethoven. However, the neighborhood, those coming from the down town and the public school 87 tied him. Some day, Alejandro Torrens (who was later on, David Torrens' father), encouraged him: ''Play something'' and he played a popular tumbao; a friend palyed claves with a piece of old broom. then the idea of creating a musical group came to light.

Times leaded them, as if in a magical act, to TV: Las pandillas Cabeza de Perro, a program for poor children welcomed to Jorge and his friends: Ritmo del Mar, suggestive name for that musical copy based on piano plus as much percussion elements as possible then, trying to make music?.

Good Bye to Keyboard.

A few more than 12 months lasted the incursion at fusa and semifusa's world.

Raúl Gómez García's death at Moncada Cuartel assault, turn up the familiar position at grandma Virginia`s house very hard: police were constantly registering the house.... They had to move on and in the middle of that confussion, piano was sold. ''It was very hard for me and my family, then, I had no intention to deal with music anymore. It was traumatic, and it may seem unbelievable, there was not even six pesos to pay my classes, she kindly told us she could keep on giving me classes for free but my father didn`t want to''.

Jorge Gómez, affable, reflexive, loquacious... is narrating a history pretty unknown for the Cuban public.

Time went on and just a few before graduating from bachelor I was thinking on studying medicine and soon I realized that I had no vocation for it; my mother preferred legal profession... ''Anyway, pretty soon after graduation, Revolution surprised me and I quickly joined it''.

He carried out various responsabilities at young organizations where he militates. one of them, to learn economy, despite his preference for letters. 1961 was passing by. ''It was the priority''. He pursued a career of Planification and worked at Junta Central directed by Renesto Ché Guevara. Later on, attending another necessity of the country, he prepared himself as emergent professor of Philosophy. ''Despite the distorted way, without a clear intention, I was guiding myself to music''.

Being 23 years old he was teaching classes at Economy School and it was his starting point.

The Seed.

During my work as professor, at the departament where I was teaching, I met Alberto Falla, who was preparing himself for docent work. I, that still had little remembrances of piano and sol-fa classes, made the second voice having a rickety claves while singing songs of traditional trova, Latin American songs and some penned by Silvio and Pablo, who were, at that time, making their bow at musical scene then... In this way, in each party, we were giving a piece of our melody''.

The boom was unexpectedly: Some day Jorge Gómez was asked to go to work at the universitary television to do a program with newcomers at student scene. There, he met Manolo Calviño (current conductor of Vale la Pena Program, Cuban TV), Pedro el Gordo, Tomás...'' It was a very difficult task. I was specializing at aesthetics, needed to have an answer to each question, like a child, a real sense and the mission was dealing with the opposite: to conceive a an entertaintment program having as unique pattern the imitation of luminaries of the epoch, such as, Beatriz Márquez, José Feliciano or Juan & Junior; a musical group interpreting pastilla de Menta. It was a terrible moment in our radio difussion world, above all, aesthetically speaking. ImagineTV conductors throwing pieces of cake to their faces in a live show.... Great distasteful act''.

Through Jorge amateurs were convoked to make a weekly schedule approaching content, musical selection and themes... step by step that TV space was growing and achieved a great acceptance among the audience.

'' I used to say, for example, next Sunday we will approach an Afro Cuban theme, then I selected themes and distributed tasks: this group will interpret these ones, the other group will have those... and this formula was having acceptance because, newcomers had the possibility of forming a repertoire. Far from any serious proposal, I was changing the sense of that spontaneous artist movement and was conforming a program. Like in every human group, there were always very ductile persons: Manuel Calviño was always present in every program; Tomás played at piano any piece you wish. In this way, a regular group who was motive of joking in thge university, beause they were always the same, there were not much volunteers and everybody have their own docent and work obligations and there were not many people happy to work in a program under thematic obligations''.

From a side of the island to another, Moncada will always be present.

The fifth anniversary of Che death surprised jorge Gómez with the request of direct a ceremony at Cardenas Square in Havana University. Groups of theater, dance and musicians that were habitually performing at the TV program, formed that presentation: around 150 persons. That was the cell of Moncada Group.

''Around those years -he remembered- we had the name of Universitary Instrumental Group. The performance was a success in such a way, that José Miyar Barruecos, Chomy, the rector asked:

-What's that?
-We created this group for the ceremony - I said.
- You should join together again. A group of professionals from Soviet Union and other countries and we want to show our art.
- That was crazy. We were running out of time and we had to enhace the repertoire and look for another instruments. Persentation was such a boom that the rector stated:
-This can`t be broken!
- I'm talking about something that happened around 1972.''

Moncada's Birth

A few days after, Alberto Faya suggested to conceive an spectacle celebrating the 20th anniversary of Moncada Cuartel Assault. '' It's something you have close, thanks to your uncle'' he told Jorge.

''But we are going to make our own songs!''.

The idea of a Cantata came up. A relate by Raúl Castro about the events related to Moncada was the inspiration. The structure was conceived: a piece dedicated to santaigo de Cuba, another to Granjita Siboney, The Assault, etc... ''Then I remebered that attitude with my grandma Virginia due to my uncle's death and the fact that July 26 is celebrated as the most happy day in our country... the first thing I thought was the chorus: "¡El 26 es el día más alegre de la historia!"...Moncada's song was created and sung at Talía Salon at the University of Havana.

Afterwards, Melba Hernández, president of Solidarity Committee with Viet Nam invited us to perform at the inauguartion ceremony of a village, 40 km far from the capital, that is having the name of that Vietnamese died for the USA army aviation: Ben Tre.

-What is the name of the group? -she asked.
-We were thinking about Credenciales name -I commented- We thought about Moncada name but we did not want to look irreverent...

''Melba went up the podium and talk to the natives of that place and said at the end: ''Now is going to perform Moncada Group, from Havana University'' and the name was already official.

La Escalinata

Cubans not so young are still remembering La escalinata and Moncada's concerts.
Juanito Gómez Barrranco (10-01-47), Jorge's brother and founder of this group is remembering that event as a paradigm. ''It resulted a very amazing formula, because the instruments were not always available, or there were sometimes problems with lights...but it a was a very deep phenomena of masses. Some persons arrived at 5 o'clock to be early. Anything that may happen was beautiful. I wish today would exist 10 escalinatas at the university, the necesity is still present, among young people mainly''.

On 1982, Culture Ministry wanted to professionalize Moncada Group. Diverse activities in Cuba nad abroad suggested the decision. All members of the group have already graduated, a few abandon the group, but the central nucleus was intact. Besides, after the Festival de la Canción Política (Rote Lieder) in Berlin they already have an international status.

Around those years, said Jorge, we were the first group after the Triumph of the Revolution taht toured to United States, from coast to coast, for about two months, we even recorded a live record at Music School of Berkelee, the most famous one of the world. That reality made us to spent more time cultivating our music. The same thing happened at Italy and Mexico where we made a concert with Phil Manzanera''.

Our performances also demanded essays and rogor. they started to get in touch with luminaries such as Elton John, Kool and the Gang, Enya.. and many others. The group is a live entity, it possesses development and course, it must interact with the medium and take from it.

''I never pretend to make experiments'' Jorge confessed. I am interesed in inventing to achieve useful things and music should be a mean of expression and communication, with our countrymen, no matters the age, it is a group, an spectacle. We discover that in San Remo, Italy. Messages and languages should trascend in a nice, funny way avoiding vulgarism.

Moncada seldom appears on TV. They are currently having an space at Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabaña. To be at the small screen represents to be in touch with more people, however, the director wants ''to be on TV as many times as the public may need it''.

''We had changed a little regarding to members of the group and the form to make music, although we are running with the times. If there are still beautiful things to say -and I believe that will always be a goal and a wish for the human soul- the eight persons in scene will express it. We are always proud for being an amaze to those who are listening, dancing or simply applauding our music''.

Courtesy of Bohemia Magazine.

See discography at www.discuba.com