(Prensa Latina – Cumbancha) Havana, Cuba – In the midst of ambitious projects, Adalberto Alvarez Zayas turns 55 year-old. He began his 30 years of artistic life and 25 years of recording with the Son 14 orchestra and Frank Fernandez as producer of “A Bayamo en Coche” (To Bayamo by Carriage), one of the most renovating works of the Cuban musical industry during the last five decades. Putting the finishing touches on his next CD for Bis Music recording company, Adalberto Alvarez noted his efforts to rescue and popularize partner dance. “I have a lot of faith in a program I will launch with television director Victor Torres this summer.”
Adalberto rejoiced being named a Prodigal Son of Camaguey, honoring his 55th birthday and 30-year artistic career. There were over 15,000 people at the gala, including the presence of other musicians from the territory where he began his professional life in 1973.
The Camaguey Hotel dedicated a room to him designed similarly to the atmosphere of his house. Alvarez wanted to be a pilot and ended up studying bassoon at the National Art School. With the Son 14 orchestra in 1978, Adalberto returned to the best contributions of Arsenio Rodriguez to the format known as ensemble and enriched it creatively to preserve the dancing flavor and melodic beauty of the “traditional,” rejuvenated by the contemporaneous sound. His loyalty to this style led to his current nickname el “Caballero del Son” (The Gentleman of Son).
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.
