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• Arts and Culture
• Music
• 06 / 06 / 2007

Supposedly born in 1911, Faustino Oramas became one of the Cuban legends of the pun and double-meaning-song lyrics , as well as of improvisation. It credited him to win the National Prize of Humour and many other distinctions such as The Axe of Holguin.

Dressed in the typical Cuban "guayabera" shirt - the boxy, pleated mens shirt known for comfort and coolness - the group arrived to the local Cemetery after touring the citys main avenues thus paying tribute to the King of the double entendre. Floral offerings were laid on the grave that opened to receive the remains of the minstrel last March 28.

Since early hours in the morning, the cultural institution Casa de la Trova in Holguin began the preparation for the occasion. Apart form the massive march, the program includes a long music show that will run until late at night.

The Central Park will be the open scenario to host soloists Vania Borges and Yaquelín Bell singing together with the recently created salsa band Kuban Times.

The 96th anniversary had a broad coverage by the local media. Interviews to his musicians and radio and TV programs cast his music all day long. "El Guayabero" has graced the home-grown musical tradition with rhythmical beats and funny improvisations that delighted the audiences for years. However, shortly before his death, he said he did not want to keep on performing.

La LUZ newspaper released an article penned by the journalist Leandro Estupiñán, where Oramas was had been asked whether he know his name was running on the Net, to what the elderly answered; Internet? Internet? It already passed away.

His songs were presented worldwide by his contemporaneous counterparts Pacho Alonso and Ibrahím Ferrer, icon of the successful musical Buena Vista Social Club and one of his many fans.

The legacy Faustino Oramas left is key to both maintain and revive Cuban traditional folk music. The people he delighted for years and that started visiting his grave 69 days after his death holding bunches of flowers are heard singing to El Guayabero's best known muse, Marieta.

Source: By Daniel Alejandro Benítez Quiñones, CubaSi