(Prensa Latina- Cumbancha) Guantánamo, Cuba – Chords from the “tres” guitar, marimba and maracas sound almost every day in different corners of Guantánamo city, venue for the First National Festival of Changüi to be held December 20 to 24, 2003. Helped by the “güiro,” the instruments identify this style of “Son,” created in the 19 century in the Eastern Cuban mountains; Changüi will be paid a deserved homage this year, along with its architect par excellence, late orchestra director Elio Revé Matos.
For two centuries, this rhythm has been the favorite dance music of farmers in the region that includes what are today the municipalities of Guantanamo, Baracoa, Yateras, El Salvador and Manuel Tames. The gatherings among musicians, dancers and experts will be a prelude to the theory workshop to be held during the Festival, dealing with different topics related to Changüi, the semantic and morphological aspects of the term, and the Loma del Chivo folklore.
Reve Matos (1930-1997) lived his childhood and most of his adolescence in a downtown neighborhood of Guantanamo, Cuba’s fifth biggest city. In his memory a monument will be raised during the celebrations. The versatile musician was the creator of the El Charangon orchestra, and he is considered the first to add kettledrums and unthinkable electronic elements to Changüí.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
