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The surprise caused by some absences in the Dance Music category of the 2018 Cubadisco Awards—particularly those of Havana d' Primera, Van y Van, and Alain Pérez—has prompted a reaction from Cuban musician Adalberto Álvarez, who has shared several reflections on the topic on his social media since September 15.
"I don't question those who are nominated for the Cubadisco award in the dance music category; they all deserve the nomination. However, I missed Van Van, Alexander Abreu, and Alain Pérez as fellow candidates in the category with their outstanding productions. I can't understand why they are not included," he wrote this past Saturday.
The next day, Maestro Adalberto brought up the topic again: "What great news! I've just been told that Alexander Abreu is in a category called Dance Music, Voces, and Design, and that Van Van will receive a special award. I think after hearing this, I now enjoy our nomination even more. Congratulations!"
And shortly after, he added in another text:
"To explain it a bit better, I can tell you that it's a category for leaders of dance groups who are also singers. For example, El Niño, Alain Perez, Alexander Abreu, Pablo FG, among others who fit that description. I'm not exactly sure who the nominees are, but I know that Alexander is one of them. In any case, this increases the chances of awards for dance music. Good news!"
However, this Monday, September 17, Adalberto explained that upon his return to Havana, he conducted inquiries and, after first speaking with a Deputy Minister of Culture and then with Alexander Abreu himself, he concluded “that Havana de Primera has no place in that new category.”
He added, "I publicly express my disagreement with that, and although I am not inclined to favor any of the nominated albums, including ours, I believe that everything should be in the hands of those who truly deserve it."
Álvarez concludes his text by emphasizing that this should be a "moment of unity," and urges "more directors" to weigh in on the issue. "And may the winner be a true victory for dance music in Cuba," he asserts.
Alexander Abreu himself has shared one of Adalberto Álvarez's posts on his Facebook profile, expressing his gratitude for the supportive words from his colleague. "Your humility is what makes you so great in my eyes and in the eyes of the millions of Cubans who love you both inside and outside of Cuba. You are an immense human being, and my admiration is not enough for everything you show us day by day," Alexander Abreu wrote, as he is currently on tour in Europe.
Cuban actor Luis Alberto García, for his part, added even more mystery yesterday to the dance category nominations for Cubadisco 2018 by posting an ironic and suggestive message on his Facebook profile:
“Do you know that neither 'El Legado' by Van Van nor 'Cantor de Pueblo' by Habana de Primera were nominated for the Cubadisco award for Best Dance Album? They smoke and don’t invite anyone. Luckily, things have been sorted out. And now they are. Strange things are happening…”
The nominations for Cubadisco 2018 were announced on September 14 during a ceremony held in the Ambassador's Hall of the Tryp Habana Libre Hotel in the capital.
La Jiribilla has noted that this edition is superior to the previous one "in terms of the number, quality, and diversity of the works in competition, with 241 registered musical productions."
This year, the Honor Awards will be presented to the Septeto Nacional Ignacio Piñeiro for its 90 years of establishment; to Producciones Colibrí on its 15th anniversary; and to the Venezuelan group Madera.
The Extraordinary Special Award will be presented to singer-songwriter Liuba María Hevia for her 35 years of artistic career and her contributions as a recording artist and songwriter.
From the catalog of the Empresa de Grabaciones y Ediciones Musicales (EGREM), one of the albums that will receive special recognition is "Legado" by Formell y los Van Van.
Alain Pérez's album, ADN, which was nominated for a Latin Grammy in the "salsa" category this year, has been completely overlooked in the nominations for Cubadisco 2018.
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