Gabino’s funeral took place at the Casa de la Trova Pepe Sánchez, a place where so many times, the chords of the maestro’s guitar accompanied, for example, Eva Griñán, Grisel Gómez, Giselle Lage and many other performers.
Next to the coffin, the floral offerings and the image in the guitarist’s cafe, were the closest relatives; colleagues and friends; musicians, troubadours, and personalities, among them, Raulicer García Hierrezuelo and Rosa María Prades Bell, provincial director of Culture and director of the Miguel Matamoros Music and Entertainment Marketing Company.
Alberto Cobián, vocalist of Grupo Granma, said goodbye to the duel and from the “Pepe Sánchez” stage, expressed beautiful words that moved many, as he took a tour of the life and work of Gabino and remembered what characterized him most: “ his enormous humility even though everyone knew he was the best”; and he added: “… a great man is remembered like this (and he repeated three times): Long live Gabino!”
A few minutes before, Rubén Gómez Neyra, who for 12 years was in charge of the Casa de la Trova Pepe Sánchez, noted:
“When I came here to do my job, I met Gabino Jardines; He was one of the first people who introduced me, and he told me a phrase that I never forget: ‘whatever you need, I will support you.’ So it was. Directing this institution was not easy given the importance it has within Cuban music and culture; I had to know about Santiago trova in particular and Cuban trova in general, and Gabino gave me books and documents that I keep, referring to Pepe Sánchez, Virgilio Palais, traditional trova, the work of duos, and that helped me in my work with the troubadours From there a deep friendship with Gabino was born, forged between trova, guitar, and joy. When I found out about Gabino’s sudden death, I immediately went to social networks and wrote what I felt… because I cried for Gabino’s death and I am sure that Santiago de Cuba is crying today for the death of Gabino Jardines.”
After the death in September 2013 of the unforgettable singer Eva Griñán, whom Gabino accompanied for years, a voice apart from other stages and the Orfeón Santiago, she became familiar in the troubadour scene of Santiago de Cuba: Grisel Gómez, too backed by the same master of the six strings.
Now, with sincere tears in her eyes, Grisel remembers:
“I am the vocal soloist whom Gabino accompanied… I am shocked by the loss… for me it has been a very strong blow because in addition to losing a great co-worker, what hurts me most is that I have lost a great friend; a great brother; a great father… I don’t have words that cover what I feel. He trusted me to be his soloist. We understood each other very well: just by looking at us he knew what I wanted and I knew what he wanted; We had great chemistry, because personally and musically we always had similar ideas. We were two musicians who got along very well.”
At another point in the dialogue, the interpreter assured:
“With forgiveness from the others… for me Gabino was the best accompanying guitarist in this country; With forgiveness, I return and repeat, from many companions that I know and admire. But for me he was the main one. It was a six-string synthesized orchestra; “It has truly been a great loss for Cuban culture.”
For a personality like that, his companions did not let him go quietly. Next to the coffin they sang trova songs that were his favorites, and even Gabino’s guitar played again as a background to masterfully continue accompanying voices.
And so, among songs, flowers and tears, the coffin left the Casa de la Trova, while on Heredia Street, respectfully formed and uniformed, the Provincial Concert Band said goodbye to Gabino Jardines Cisneros with very Cuban songs.
