“There are a lot of miseries all over the world; music turns into a consolation for those people. It is something that nurtures their soul", a colleague and a friend of mine once told me. The point is in the sensitivity to imagine what has never existed or nobody has ever seen.

Cuban singer Vicentico Valdés had such a quality. He was one of those ordinary people, who seemed to live above it all, but for himself and his feelings. So much so, that he never passed unnoticed, as a genuine artist.

This outstanding singer was born on January 10, 1921, in Cayo Hueso, a neighborhood of Havana city. He became popular with the song "Los aretes de la luna”. Due to his success, Valdes reached international fame as a bolero singer.

"La Gloria Eres Tu", one of his most notable songs, is considered a classic bolero of Cuban music and it is sung now by world famous singers such as Mexican singers Luis Miguel and Alejandro Fernandez, among others.

Valdes also joined the Ignacio Piñeiro National Septet, the famous band Sonora Matancera. He defended the Cuban roots on the most prestigious international stages along with renowned musicians such as Puerto Rican pianist Noro Morales, Tito Puente, among others.

The verses of his songs are the best testimony of his feelings: “Dios dice que la gloria/ está en el cielo/ que es de los mortales/ el consuelo al morir. Bendito Dios/ porque al tenerte yo en vida/ no necesito ir al cielo/ si tu / alma mía/ la gloria eres tú”. (God says that glory / is in heaven/ it is for mortals / the consolation for death. / Thank God / because having you in my life / I don’t need to go to heaven / for you / my soul / you are the glory )

In deference to Vicentico Valdes’s artistic talent and the great career he carried out in Cuba and abroad, the Cuban Radio pays homage to him.

A translation by: Silke Paez Carr

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