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• Arts and Culture
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• 06 / 07 / 2009

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The young choreographer of the National Ballet of Cuba was inspired by the interpretations of the deceased singer, one of the famous voices of danzón, to devise a choreography that does not try to recreate the artist´s life, but to exploit the expressiveness of Cuban popular music.

The title of the work, Por una voz, largely explains the intentions of the creator. It is, he says, a tribute to the excellence of his interpretations.

"I proposed myself a refreshing work starting from the reasons of popular dance assumed by classical dance, specifically the neo-classical style," he says.

It is an Alicia Alonso´s idea. "On one occasion, she invited me to listen to the songs of Barbarito and suggested me to do something with them, not in a biographical or illustrative sense, but rather to capture the atmosphere. I immediately began to work."

Blanco is confident that the older audience, who enjoyed the performances of Barbarito, is going to feel identified with the work, but he hopes that young people enjoy it too: "this music is usually identified with the past, but it retains all its freshness."

The choreography is structured in ascending order: firstly, a solo, then a pas de deux, and finally the corps de ballet integrate. "It is as if people endorse the music of Barbarito Diez."

It is not the first time that Eduardo Blanco is inspired by the legacy of a Cuban popular musician. In fact, he identified this aspect as one of the pillars of his creation: "I already did it with Tiempo Danzón, for example, but now it is about something more sedate, appealing to the nostalgia."

Interpreted by young figures of the National Ballet of Cuba, the work will go up on stage on Sunday, June 7th, at the closing gala of the Festival La Huella de España.

(CubaSí)