Cubadisco 2005
5/21/05-5/29/05

The competition has begun ... and
so has the party
• 91 CDs from 10 Cuban labels nominated • Concerts by foreign guest artists • Lolita, one of the big attractions

BY MIREYA CASTAÑEDA —Granma International staff writer—

THE 9th International CUBADISCO fair is set for Havana May 21-29, but at the Hotel Cohiba (on April 21), the first acknowledgements have already been made. Five essential women of Cuban music were honored by their colleagues, critics, musicologists and journalists.

Between applause, and some criticisms of the presentation texts, tribute was paid to the careers of Teresita Fernández, Celina González, Marta Valdés, Digna Guerra, María Teresa Linares, Omara Portuondo and Rosita Fornés.

Subsequently, the 91 CD nominees in 25 categories were announced by the Awards Committee, presided over this year by composer Roberto Varela and comprised of musicians (including Pancho Amat, Chicoy, Teté Caturla, Ester Borja, César López), musicologists, music historians, radio and television program directors, critics, philologists, sound engineers, designers and producers.

Cuba’s largest recording label, EGREM, had 20 CDs nominated, followed closely by the smaller but very precise BIS MUSIC, with 21. Then came UNICORNIO’s 13 CDs, COLIBRI’s 10, AHÍ NAMA’s 6, CENTRO PABLO’s 5, LUSAFRICA’s 2, TUMI MUSIC’s 2 and one each for ICAIC and the CITY HISTORIAN’S OFFICE.

EGREM’s nominees include albums like Mis versiones preferidas (My Preferred Versions), by Harold Gramatges; Música para seriales de TV (Music for TV Series), Sergio Vitier; Los papines siguen OK (Los Papines are Doing OK) and Corazonero, by Buena Fe.

BIS MUSIC’s 21 nominations included Danza de las brujas (Witches’ Dance), Camerata Romeu; Amor y piano (Love and Piano) and Varios or Semillas del son (Seeds of Son).

COLIBRI has no less than Homo ludens, Leo Brouwer and guests; UNICORNIO’s Angel y habaneras (Angel and Havana Women) from Liuba María Hevia; ICAIC, Suite Habana, Edesio Alejandro; TUMI MUSIC, Yusa Live at Ronnie Scott’s; LUSAFRICA, Suenan los cueros (The Drums are Sounding), Osdalgia; and CITY HISTORIAN’S OFFICE, Passo Domini Jesu Christi. Esteban Salas, Ars Longa.

Of special note is that the Pablo de la Torriente Brau Cultural Center, which is not a recording label, has five nominations from its program of trova singers: Pasado los 30 (Post 30’s), Eduardo Sosa (in the categories of trova and first album); Señales (Signs), Diego Cano; A guitarra limpia. Antología 3 (Just guitar, Anthology 3); Luna trovera (Trova Moon), Augusto Blanca; and La mano amiga (Friendly Hand), Augusto Blanca, Vicente Feliú, Lázaro García.

Roberto Varela, president of the jury, noted the strong presence of dance music in the competition, with top-of-the-line bands: Issac Delgado (Bis Music); Bamboleo (Ahí Namá); Van Van (Unicornio); Manolito Simonet (EGREM); Klimax (EGREM); Yumurí (Bis Music); and Charanga Habanera (EGREM).

This year, CUBADISCO is dedicated to Japan, and therefore a broad delegation is expected, made up of choirs, lyrical singers, classical guitarists and pianists, harpists, Latin music and Cuban pop bands and a traditional group.

In addition, Spain’s Sociedad General de Autores y Editores (SGAE) announced the presence of Spanish fusion, salsa and hip hop groups, and highlighted a concert by singer Lolita at the Karl Marx Theater.

The SGAE is also preparing the premiere of the documentary Iré Habana and Ni fresa ni chocolate (Neither Strawberry nor Chocolate), directed by Cuban Jorge Perugorria.

The opening gala is arousing interest (the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Enrique Pérez Mesa; Japanese guitarist Antonio Koga and several Cuban singers), as is the final one (the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Zenaida Castro Romeu, Japanese artists and local guests).

The musical program includes concerts at the San Francisco Lesser Basilica; the Amadeo Roldán, Astral, Mella and América theaters; the Iglesia de Paula; the Oratorio San Felipe Neri; the Fine Arts Museum; the Irakere Jazz Club; the Plaza de Armas; the Jazz Café and the Casa de Musica on Galiano.

A Caribbean Gala is planned, featuring artists from Jamaica, Trinidad-Tobago, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas; as well as one Cuba-Japan one, and a night of Afro-Caribbean and Cuban pop.

The 9th International CUBADISCO Fair is an attention-getter, with a tight competition and magnificent concerts and CD launches.