Ernesto Lecuona. Photo: Archive

Ernesto Lecuona’s Legacy

Ernesto Lecuona’s work is considered a musical treasure that has left an indelible mark on the history of Cuban and Latin American music.

At the age of five, he played for others, and at thirteen, he wrote his first work: a march for concert band titled Cuba and America.

He completed his formal piano studies at the renowned Peyrellade Conservatory with his teachers Antonio Saavedra and Joaquín Nin. He was also a student of the great Hubert de Blanck at the National Conservatory of Havana, where he graduated with a Gold Medal at the age of 16.

With his unique and melodic style, Lecuona created compositions that reflect the richness and passion of Cuban music. Fusing elements of traditional music with contemporary influences.

On the 130th anniversary of his birth, his pieces are recognized worldwide for their beauty and emotion, and he is considered a link between the virtuoso traditions of 19th-century piano playing and modern musical expresión. Including jazz and popular Latin American dance.

His work has subsequently been widely disseminated by musicians and conductors throughout Latin America. Renowned tenors such as José Mojica, Alfredo Krauss, and Plácido Domingo have performed and recorded his pieces.

Cuban concert artist Huberal Herrera has been one of the tireless researchers and promoters of his piano work. At the 2017 Cubadisco Festival, he presented the album Rosas para Ernesto Lecuona. Which brings together 18 of his lesser-known pieces.

Esther Borja has been considered the best interpreter of Ernesto Lecuona’s works. The maestro wrote his famous “Dame Encantadora” for her, which Esther sings in the premiere of this work, which also marks her theatrical debut.

The first lady of Cuban song was a member of the companies Lecuona organized at various stages of her life. With the goal of spreading this type of music beyond the country’s borders, particularly in the Americas.

Sixty-two years after his death, Lecuona is the most universal of our musicians, and his music remains an invaluable legacy that continues to inspire generations of musicians and music lovers around the world.

By: Melissa Laura del Cerro Figueredo

Radio Angulo
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