Singer-songwriter Tony Ávila dedicates concert to the 115th anniversary of Faustino Oramas’s birth

The vibrant energy of fine art and the sharp wit of Cuban folk music converged this Wednesday in the emblematic Calixto García Park in the city of Holguin. The setting for a spectacular concert featuring renowned singer-songwriter Tony Ávila. One of the highlights of the XV National Music with Humor Festival.

The concert became a heartfelt tribute to Faustino Oramas, “El Guayabero,” the King of Double Entendre. To whom this fifteenth edition of the Festival is dedicated. As part of the celebrations for the 115th anniversary of his birth.

Moreover the charismatic troubadour not only revisited the most requested songs from his repertoire. Known for their clever double entendres and deep popular appeal. Also transformed the evening into a celebration of the island’s traditions.

Before a packed audience in Holguin’s central plaza. Ávila displayed the finesse of his poetic style and his characteristic rhythmic connection. Offering an evening where social commentary and shared laughter went hand in hand.

His performance demonstrated that Oramas’s legacy remains alive, renewed, and pulsating. In the hearts of the new generation of Cuban musical humorists.

Joining the audience at this important cultural event were Joel Queipo Ruíz, First Secretary of the Holguin Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba. Manuel Francisco Hernández Aguilera, Governor of the province. Reflecting the institutional support for events that champion the most authentic values of Cuban culture.

With this performance, the Music with Humor Festival reaffirms the City of Parks. As a stronghold for intellectual pursuits and wholesome enjoyment. Consolidating a space where Cuban identity is sung and reflected upon through laughter.

But the celebration of intelligent humor wasn’t limited to musical performances. During its theoretical sessions, the event opened a valuable space for debate at the La Periquera Provincial History Museum. Also where researchers and artists exchanged ideas on the current trends in musical and graphic satire in the country.

Theoretical panels led by prestigious intellectuals explored the indissoluble link between satire and Cuban customs. Enriched this year with complementary tributes to the birth anniversaries of two other giants. The 125th anniversary of Ñico Saquito and the 80th anniversary of Caridad Cuervo, the queen of guaracha.

Likewise, caricature took center stage thanks to the talent of students from the El Alba Regional Academy of Visual Arts. Who filled the grounds with strokes full of humor and visual acuity.

The festival concludes this Thursday, June 4th, the exact date of the birth of the Great Minstrel, with the highly anticipated “Guayaberazo.” In this grand closing performance, the invited groups and the people of Holguin will join their voices to sing those immortal refrains. That, like the mythical Marieta, are an inseparable part of the soundtrack and identity of the nation.

By: Daimy Peña Guillén

Radio Angulo
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