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 Guitar
is an indispensable constituent for Cuban music. This instrument,
brought to the island by Spaniards more than five centuries ago,
came to stay as almost all the founding musical components that
-far from setting apart- came together.
It happened in such a way that -later on- experts have recognized
the existence in our small island of a peculiar school of this string
instrument. It shows the Spanish Emilio Pujols, being transformed
by Isaac Nicola and renovated by Leo
Brouwer.
The Cuban school of guitar`s logical development allowed the new
generations of guitarists to look for a space to promote their creations.
In 1982, the Guitar Festival-Contest of Havana saw the light with
a biennial frecuency.
Since then, the greatest luminaries from the guitar arena have been
performing in our scenes Paco de Lucía, Costa Cotsiolis,
Shin Ichi Fukuda, Egberto Gismonti, among many others.
We have witnessed also many remarkable instrumentists such as the
Cubans Rey Guerra (second prize, 1982), Joaquín Clerch (1986-1988)
and Marcos Díaz Tamayo (1994); plus the notable Spanish Ricardo
Gallén (2002).
The organizers -headed by Leo
Brouwer- started to open a space to the guitar family and even
give participation to all those who, from the Trova, created their
own songs accompained by the guitar.
........
In May, 2004, guests from more than 13 countries met together in
Havana around Leo. Some of them are habitual, such as the Greek
Cotsiolis. Others not so habitual such as the Chilean Marcelo de
la Puebla, Ricardo Gallén and the Mexican Roberto Limón...
....In the scene, the Cotsiolis and Puebla` strings vibrated and
the guitar joined -in different moments- the flute, contrabass and
finally the Symphonic Orchestra.
Shin-Ichi Fukuda and the Uruguayan Eduardo Fernández played
like angels and Gallén and Pável Steidl did their
best in a performance honoring the classics. During the Flamenco
night, brothers Rafael and Juan Manuel Cañizares, together
with Reinier
Mariño and the Lizt Alfonso Ballet, Joaquin and Victor,
brilliant as ever, also honored Leo Brouwer.
The ancient night was for Armoniosi Concerti (Spain) and a repertoire
conformed with Spanish music coming from XVII and XVIII centuries,
based on Baroque guitars and the peculiar tiorba. Paolo Paolini
contributed, from the Italic Peninsula, with the Preludios de Caprice
by Chacon Sarabande (Francesco Corbetta) and Corrente, Minuet, Giga
(Ludovico Roncalli), in addition to Pavanas, Españoletas,
clarions and trumpets with very interesting songs by the Spanish
Gaspar Sanz. To conclude this ceremony, Ars Longa offered some Gaspar
Hernández`s songs, coming from its CD having cuts from the
Cancionero Musical de la Catedral de Oaxaca, Alonso de Mudarra,
Antonio de Cabezón and Luis Milán.
There were also a space to revere the Spanish composer Antón
García Abril with Gallén as soloist of his Concierto
Aguediano for guitar and orchestra and Limón had the right
place to premiere in Havana the Concert for guitar and orchestra
by Meyer Kaupferman. In a few words, we can review it as a beautiful
marathon of guitars, tres, laudes with Díaz Tamayo, Edwin
Colón Sayas, Pancho
Amat y su Cabildo del Son, among many others.
The XII Guitar Contest was attended by 26 youngsters coming from
Mexico, Spain, Ukrania, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Germany,
Venezuela, El Salvador, Italy, Japan and Cuba. After three rounds,
the jury confered the First Prize to Mexican Cecilio Perera. The
second place was for the Greek Fotis Koutsothodoros, while the Third
prize was shared between the Cubans Cristina Pérez Madiedo
and Alí Jorge Arango. Pérez Madiedo was acknowledged
as the best classified Cuban competitor.
Taken from a Marta María Ramirez`s work, published on
Juventud Rebelde.
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