Cuban troubadours, Vicente Velich, mourned his sudden death

Havana, Dec. 18 (EFE). – The sudden death of the Cuban singer-songwriter Vicente Velech provoked reactions among his followers who, in addition to regretting this, recognize the importance of the musician’s contribution to the so-called Nueva Trova, related to the song of protest in Latin America.

Feliú Aurora de los Andes’ daughter confirmed that her father had died the day before, at the age of 74, of a heart attack while rehearsing for “La Bayamesa,” a contemporary version of the romantic and patriotic song that was first sung. in 1851.

Several users lamented the event, including Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who wrote on Twitter: “A very sad blow to the soul of the homeland, the sudden death of Vicente Fili. He played the chords of the song” La bayamesa “when his heart failed, I hope it enlightens us Always his motto is “Believe me”, Guevarianas and Auroras and his deep loyalty to the Revolution. Farewell, my dear friend.”

Troubadour Frank Delgado also shared his memories with Vicente and his brother Santiago Velich – who died in 2014 – and one of the biggest advocates of the Nueva Trova movement in Cuba.

Believe me, your song

His anthological subject “Créeme” was one of many that were part of his career, which included composing music for plays and television and extensive musical sketches: Créeme (1978), I Don’t Know How To Stay (1985), Poetic Art (1990), Aurora ( 1995), Ansias del alba (1997, with her brother Santiago), Guevarianas (1997) and Colibrí (2000).

Vicente Velic shared the stage with Luis Eduardo Ott (Spain), Leon Gekko, Mercedes Sosa (Argentina), Inti Elemani (Chile) and Daniel Viglietti (Uruguay).

Cuban journalist and critic Michel Hernandez reflected in his networks that “through his work, different stages of Cuban life can be observed as told from the individual view of the troubadour”.

Hernandez also added, that it is possible to know in depth the rules that inspired the birth of Nueva Truva, whose proponents have diversified their creative expressions and have continued to defend their works from the meaning each gave to the “founding principles” of this movement.

At the beginning of 1968 Filho founded the Nueva Trova movement with Silvio Rodriguez, Pablo Milanes, Noel Nicola, Eduardo Ramos, Augusto Blanca, Sara Gonzalez and other musicians.

This movement has rescued the sound of the traditional Cuban trova with a dose of politics by being a chronicler of the great events in the Caribbean and Latin American nation. EFE

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