Trovas Modernas

With TROVAS MODERNAS, the members of Bello Son have curated the latest edition of the Great Cuban Songbook. This group of free format musicians emerged in the summer of 2014, from an experimental project developed over six years by Professor Jesús Bello at the Samuel Feijóo Art School in Villa Clara Cuba.

Since May 2015 Bello Son has worked and performed consistently including presentations and performances in Trinidad, in Havana with the Association “José Martí,” and on television broadcasts across Cuba.

From the timeless salsa of Luis “Tata” Guerra’s “Son Matamoros” to Ñico Saquito’s “Amarro Con P,” the music on this album represents a deep dive into the music that defines a country and its people.

Tony Smith’s “Dile Que Por Mi No Tema” is a passionate salsa featuring a spurned lover who informs a former flame to “tell your new lover there is nothing to fear / it has been a long time since I erased you from my mind.” “Los Celos De Mi Compay” (My Friend’s Jealousy) rounds the story out with surprisingly upbeat music contrasting a less than joyful circumstance.

Alongside Cuban icons Pepe Sanchez, Rosendo Ruiz, and Manuel Corona, Sindo Garay is considered one of the four greats of the trova – poetic songwriters who accompanied themselves on guitar. Indeed, these trovadors were the folk musicians of Cuba, and Bello Son’s take on Garay’s “Retorna” carries on the tradition proudly.

“El Reto” (The Challenge) features a rollicking piano line and birdlike flute that dances around the lyrics.

As a gateway into understanding a people and culture, music has no equal. Listening to TROVAS MODERNAS provides an unparalleled look into the hearts and minds the Cuban people.