Havana, June 16 (EFE).- In Cuba, José Alfredo also continues to be ‘the king’. The National Symphony Orchestra of the Caribbean country starred this Sunday in the concert “Cuba le canta José Alfredo Jiménez” at the National Theater in Havana.
The music, which was performed before a full Sala Covarrubias, was led by Mexican guest conductor Guillermo Villarreal.
The arrangements, which transferred the spirit of mariachi to the format of a symphony, were made by the National Symphony of Mexico and the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature of the North American country.
The result was part of the celebrations last year for the 50th death anniversary of the author of great hits, such as ‘El rey’ and ‘Caminos de Guanajuato’.
“One of the great challenges of making Mexican folk music for a symphony orchestra is to preserve the traditional elements of José Alfredo’s music (…) José Alfredo is a great lyricist, he is like a poet of Mexican pain,” he told EFE. Villarreal, last Thursday.
The concert had a first part in which the musicians performed ‘Sones de mariachi’, by Blas Galindo, and ‘Huapango’, by José Pablo Moncayo. And a second with up to 13 pieces by the author born in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato in 1926 and died in 1973. The best moment was the end, with the great classic ‘The King’.
For Desiré Justo, first violinist of the Cuban Symphony, the experience of working with Villarreal on this concert was more than “fun.”
“The Cuban people really like Mexican music. Since I was a child I listened to a lot in my house, in my neighborhood… on par with Cuban music or more,” she assured EFE.
Likewise, the songs were accompanied by soloists from the National Lyric Theater choir.
In that sense, Denise Falcón, director of the choir and teacher of the Singing Department at the University of the Arts of Cuba (ISA), stressed to EFE that for them it was a great challenge to bring music to life in a different format than the one They had “context” from listening, like many Cubans, at popular festivals.
The good result of combining the talents of both countries is not entirely a surprise for the director, who told EFE: “Cuba has a very broad culture of Mexican folk music, much more than Mexicans.”
