EGREM launches new album as tribute to Commander Almeida

SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba, Feb 18 (ACN) The Siboney Studios of Egrem, in this city, dedicated on Wednesday, the tribute album "Desde el alma" (From the soul) to the musician Comandante Juan Almeida Bosque on his 94th birthday.

Eight songs make up the album, six of them by the prolific composer, which, according to Marcos Campins, responsible for the recording notes, show the most intimate experiences of the man, husband, father and son.

The album also includes "A mi viejo", by his son Juan Guillermo (JG), and "Así te recordamos Comandante", in an instrumental version, composed by Ricardo Leyva.

After a rigorous selection by Juana de los Cuetos and Campins himself, who came up with the idea, "A Rosario", "A Bertha", "A Diana", "Este son homenaje", "Si se pudiera" and "María del Carmen" found in Tony Rodón, Dagoberto Planas, Inocencio Heredia and other musicians of the Son de Cuba Agency, the exact voices for their interpretation.

Produced by masters Ricardo Leyva and Fernando Dewar, the album takes care of the texts and speeds of each song, to maintain, as much as possible, the intentions and feelings that Almeida Bosque wanted to express when he wrote them.

They expressed their satisfaction for participating in this project which, in a record time of nine days, united dissimilar wills to reverence the high aesthetic sensitivity and artistic quality of the renowned musician Comandante, founder of the Studios.

Leyva and Dewar highlighted the work of the young Damián Busqueta, production assistant and keyboardist, and the experienced Máximo Espinosa and Iván Salas, who recorded, mixed and mastered "Desde el alma".

With graphic design and printing by Alexis Caballero, it is worth mentioning that the conception of the phonogram transcended the limits of Santiago's geography, while the cover artwork is by the Guantanamo painter Eider Garbey.

The Siboney Award for Musical Excellence was given post mortem to Juan Almeida Bosque, an award that JG received from the hands of the president of the provincial committee of Uneac, Rodulfo Vaillant, and Juana de los Cuetos.

The sixth issue of the newspaper "Siboney" was also launched, which contains details of the work of the emblematic institution during the complex year 2020.

The occasion was attended by Raulicer García, head of Culture in the territory, Adriana Pazos, Egrem's National Director of Art and Repertoire, and other guests.