Aquiles has obsessively favoured scrap material from the bodywork of old cars or containers of the most varied types to make small walking human figures, or perfectly flattened squares grouped according to an impeccable arrangement. He has not abandoned canvas, however, using a combination of techniques to produce an abstract work where graffiti connotes the emotional impact in the direction that the artist is interested in.
In 1975, the now deceased, then young singer-songwriter Noel Nicola would give a definition of what a trovador is for Cubans: 'A singer of his own songs or of songs composed by others who, just like him, are singers.accompanies himself on the guitar, and.tries to make poetry with his songs.' José 'Pepe' Sánchez, creator of the Cuban bolero, is also considered the 'father' of traditional trova, which, originating in Santiago de Cuba towards the end of the 19th century, would spread all over the island with important centres in Camagüey, Sancti Spíritus, and, especially, Havana, where significant composers took up residence, including, among others, Santiago-born Sindo Garay, Alberto Villalón, Rosendo Ruiz Suárez and the Trío Matamoros; from
Camagüey, Patricio Ballaga; and Manuel Corona, from Caibarién. Without any formal musical education, these intuitive singers and composers, the trovadores-who also performed genres such as the bolero, the canción, the son and the guaracha-focused mainly on three topics: love, Nature and homeland, with compositions of their own or written by learned or popular poets, leaving for prosperity such compositions as La tarde by Sindo Garay, or Longina by Manuel Corona, which are still part of the repertoire of present day soloists and groups. Through the years, trova tunes would embody forms of expression in keeping with the times and would be enriched by contributions from filin and the so-called 'nueva trova'.
| Traditional Trova |
| by CubaAbsolutely Team |
Cuban Music
Cuban Music
