By Yimel Díaz Malmierca.
Photo: René Pérez Massola.

Humility is not precisely one of the plentiful virtues in our days, but in Lázaro Ros is the essence of his soul. Nothing disturb his quite appearance. Not even the recent prize conferred by Fernando Ortiz Foundation or his three nominations to Latin Grammys for his records Yemayá (1999), Oshún (2001) and Shangó (2002).

Ocha Niwe, as he is named in Afro Cuban rites, was born at a neighborhood of the capital, in Santos Suarez on May 11, 1925 and since he was a child succumbed under the magic of chants and drums sounding at his house's yard. He received many punishments and scoldings, but African component succeed over familiar believes and prohibitions.

Being thirteen, he started to sing at saint parties and more than once, his litle money earned as milk messenger was used to in his constant travels to Matanzas, where the most respectful temples started to identify voice of what is currently the major Cuban akpwon.

Fortunately, Lázaro, porter of the exclusive gift of convert ''negroes traditions'' into artistic facts, he managed to enter the Cuban radio world and in 1949 he started to perform in a Sunday program of folkloric music at Cadena Azul radio station.

Ten years after he joined the group that, for the first time, carried out an Afro Cuban spectacle to theater, event celebrated at Covarrubias Salon from National Theater on 1959.

His demonstrative labor and as informer of these chants and dances was essential for early researches of folklorist character stimulated by the recent-installed revolutionary government.

Prestigious Cuban researchers highlighting Argeliers León, Miguel Barnet, Isaac Barreal, Alberto Pedro and Rogelio Martínez Furé drank from his inexhaustible knowledge, cultivated firstly for curiosity but then with patient professionalism.

Lázaro, having exclusive voice registers and a profound artistic and pedagogical vocation, was one of Conjunto Folklórico Nacional (CFN) founders in 1962, institution with which he has toured around the world.

CFN has grown up with his contributions and at the same time it helped the artist to achieve his current professional stature. He made with it numerous international tours and recorded folkloric music for radio and television in Belgic, Algeria and Spain, for discographic collection Chant du Monde in France and for BBC in London.

Many times in the week, his apartment in Infanta and Manglar is full of young people. They are chant apprentices who prefer to drink from the original source.

Lázaro is demanding and fair as few persons are.

Without a doubt, his most tracendental work is about concluding and it is collection of records Orisha Ayé, project made with Abdala Recording Studios which have already presented eleven records and two of them are still missing.

Lázaro knows he treasures a jewel enriched and cultivated with humility and patience as Obatalá is recommending.

This time, Shangó, like in a battle, is struggling for Grammy Awards but the only fact of being there is just a triumph: '' This award maybe can not give me money, he commented once, but for me the most important thing is to get my chants close to people''.

Source: Trabajadores Newspaper. September 10, 2002.

See Discography at www.discuba.com