Cuba remembers this Monday the artist who earned the title of The Gentleman of Son. With the elegance of his music and the consistency of his life: Adalberto Álvarez (1948-2021), on the fifth anniversary of his passing.
His absence, caused by complications associated with Covid-19 at the age of 72, left a void in Cuban music. However, the legacy he forged in more than four decades of his career endures. As one of the cornerstones of his country’s popular culture.
Without abandoning traditional roots, the National Music Prize winner incorporated contemporary harmonies. With arrangements that revitalized the genre for new generations.
This ability to be modern without losing his essence made him the most covered Cuban sonero in the Latin music scene over the last three decades.
His career as an orchestra leader is an essential chapter in the history of son. Coupled with his exceptional talents as a pianist and composer.
He founded two groups that became giants of Cuban dance music: Son 14, in 1978. Which revolutionized the scene with a fresh sound, and Adalberto Álvarez y su Son, created in 1984. With which he deepened his style and maintained an unbreakable connection with the public for almost 40 years.
From this prestigious group came albums that include hits. Such as “Canción para mamá Rosa,” “El mal de la hipocresía,” “El son de la madrugada,” “En casa de Rosa Zayas,” “Gozando en La Habana,” “Mamaíta no quiere,” “Mi linda habanera,” “Para bailar casino,” and “Y qué tú quieres que te den,” among others.
Thanks to his virtuosity, he won numerous awards, and other great artists immortalized his compositions: Oscar D’ León, Roberto Roena, Andy Montañez, Juan Luis Guerra. Justo Betancourt, and Gilberto Santa Rosa are among them.
Perhaps his greatest reward is the affection and admiration born from his creative vocation. Adalberto Álvarez returns to the stage today because some stars never die. They are born to be immortal in the music and in the hearts of the Cuban people.
With information from Prensa Latina
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