The biennal international festival of Choral Music in Santiago de Cuba, founded and directed by Maestro Electo Silva, regularly plays host to some outstanding choirs as well as promoting the strong and unique Cuban choral tradition.
This CD, recorded live during a highly successful UK tour organised by the Sheffield based project Voces de Cuba, showcases one such ensemble from the city of Santiago itself - the Camerata Vocal Musica Aurea. Featuring young singers with exceptional talent, this choir is led by its founder Delvis Sanchez Suarez whose vision has made her a major force in choral music across the whole of Cuba. Delvis studied music at a young age at the Cuban National school of Art and has continued to develop her talent to the point that she has received numerous awards for her contributions to Cuban music and culture.
One of the many treats of hearing a concert by a Cuban choir is their selection of music, and this set is no exception. Mixing renaissance music from Spain with music by the masters of Cuban composition such as Esteban Salas (Suarez is a major Salas scholar who has rescued and transcribed lost pieces by this founding father of Cuban classical music), Alejandro Garcia Caturia and Leo Brouwer, this is a fascinating journey through one of the most rewarding areas of Cuban culture.
Delvis even finds space for contemporary pieces that have been learned through working with musicians from Scandanavia, and unsurprisingly the choir makes each piece sound as if it was written specifically for them.
Featuring tour de forces such as a quite brilliant rendition of the ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’ and old favourites such as Joseito Fernandez’ ‘Guantanamera’, this CD is a tribute to the phenomenal talent and musicality of the Aurea choir and their leader, as well as being an enjoyable and rewarding album for all lovers of classical and choral music.
Dave Willetts for CubaSi Autumn 2013
More about Voces de Cuba and the Aurea choir at www.vocesdecuba.org.uk The project was also supported by the Music Fund for Cuba www.musicfundforcuba.org.uk
