• Submitted by: manso
• Arts and Culture
• 06 / 13 / 2011

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World famous Cuban sonero Adalberto Álvarez will begin his already traditional summer tour of 10 European nations in July.

In statements to Prensa Latina, the musician announced that following the European tour, he will travel to Peru to perform in the city of Arequipa.

“An intense program of concerts has been scheduled, followed by shows in several Cuban provinces,” he added.

A composer, arranger, singer and pianist, Adalberto affirmed that the son constitutes the essence of contemporary Cuban dance music.

“Some associate it with old age, but we, Cubans don’t need to wear a guayabera -a typical Cuban lightweight shirt- to sing, dance and enjoy this music genre that is in our blood,” he said.

“Even reggaeton groups here in Cuba are adding percussion and wind instruments typical of son bands to their arrangements. What we are witnessing here is the fusion between the genres of contemporary Cuban music and the legendary son.

“In his opinion, the son has survived to this date because it is one of the most flexible of all forms of music, without ever losing its essence, from the days of Miguel Matamoros to the present day.

“We can and should continue making changes to the music genre, modernize it, but without changing its essence –an expression of Cuban identity,” he stressed.

Translation: Lena Beatriz Valverde (Cubarte)

Source: cubasi.com