If this were a script for a movie, it would begin by presenting a city for which the sea sighs, a blue city with its weightless and very musical streets, with a Prado adorned by lions, streets of a picaresque and deep city, a city of full moon and pure sun; In that script we would get to know the neighborhood of San Leopoldo and there we would see a restless and bandit boy who was part of a band but... rock.
That child likes to dream so much that he seems to hear the flapping of birds all the time as well as a rumba, a rap or a conga. That child turned into an artist and what an artist! is the teacher Edesio Alejandro.
Having made the minimal introduction that our interviewee requires, he begins the face-to-face conversation with Mr. Edesio Alejandro, who is in Madrid today, waiting to recover from an annoying ailment.
Thank you for your nice presentation, I want to speak to you as always from the truth: I am recovering from prostate cancer and I have been living in Spain for a year for this reason.
San Leopoldo hot neighborhood; From a very young age we played rumba on top of cars. That was my first school, rumba, carnival conga that we would go to overwhelm and conguear. I was the typical juvenile delinquent and my mother, trying to get me out of that world, took me to see ballet, symphony orchestra concerts, theater, and movies.
When I was 11 we formed a rock group, I played drums and then I went to another to play guitar. She found out that they had opened calls for applications at the conservatory and since music attracted me and above all with the desire to get me off the street, she proposed that I take the tests and I passed. When I entered the conservatory I felt that that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life: MUSIC!
You are a musician, producer, arranger, director, composer and filmmaker and in all of them you are a home run hitter. What is the key for your creations to be successful, the punch they have?
Although I studied music, intuition has been my best weapon; I have done everything with my heart and in addition to knowledge, in many moments I have had the guidance of God, who always puts the right decision before me. I am a guy from the neighborhood, who grew up, read and studied, but I have always followed my heart.
Is there a creation, a specific work of yours that, both spiritually and economically, marks a before and after in you?
With the series Today is always still I wanted to change the music that was made on television for modern sounds; then I did the opera Violent Rock, the first in Latin America, which constituted a great theatrical show with rock music.
Then it came Clandestine, I added rock and electronics to cinema, according to critics I changed the sound of Cuban cinema. On my first album Black Angel where the song Blen Blen is, I mixed what I brought from the neighborhood with music from the world, we did everything differently, we invented harmonies. Gerardo García, my co-author and I had a lot of success, we entered the MTV charts, among other great results.
Then came the duet with Gladys Knight, we did a cha-cha with soul and it was a worldwide hit. I produced Scatman John's last album and mixed mambo with dance. I have always tried to change the logic of things.
Musicians, artists in general are athletes of the soul and spirit, creation is an act of love and faith and it is volatile, it escapes; but maybe you agree with me that when you send love... That goes very deep and is a way of existing!
I know that under your skin there is an excellent generosity and that you and your beloved son Cristian Alejandro carry out altruistic work, “For your Love”. Tell me about this project, do you have government support and the country's cultural institutions?
Our work is very difficult, imagine a person listens to a song, it touches their heart and makes it part of their life; That for us is a blessing. Cristian and I, to somehow reciprocate the love that people have given us, did the project “For your love”, without profit, to give the people who needed it most a little hope in hospitals, children's homes without filial protection and schools; Those were some of our scenarios.
People opened their hearts to us, but we never had support from the country's cultural institutions, they were never interested and it was impossible to continue alone. We took it to Mexico with the Latin Institute of Music; In the Dominican Republic, Cristian recorded a merengue version with Johnny Ventura and another salsa version in Puerto Rico with Andy Montañez. The project was terminated due to lack of support.
You are very multifaceted and prolific within artistic creation, also multi-awarded nationally and internationally. How do you handle your profession, manage your time and take care of the robust, beautiful and stable family you have?
Without the support of my wife Idolka nothing would have been possible. In addition to other duties as photographer for all the projects, she runs the house and took care of Cristian when he was little.
With Cristian everyone knows that we are one, we do almost all the projects together, movie music, everything. My brothers, nephews and brothers-in-law have also been an important part of all the projects; my brother Alejandro was my producer. My father, my representative and my mother, my advisor.
You have shared the stage with greats in music and cinema from Cuba and the world. What has it been for you: emotion, professional contribution, teaching to give?
I have been very happy because I have done what I have wanted in every moment of my life and although I was never supported by Cuban institutions or record labels, I have literally made the music that I wanted.
I have been fortunate to share with great stars in the world who have contributed a lot to me, among them Gladys Knight, Charles Fox, Scatman John, Johnny Ventura, Danny Rivera, Adriano Rodríguez, Fernando Pérez, Chijona, Rolando Diaz and Daniel Diaz Torres, Just to mention a few… God has been very generous to me! I have had success with them in the world and I thank them very much.
“Cuban TV takes Edesio Alejandro's son's program off the air due to lack of budget” This was a headline that I saw and it caught my attention because, in my opinion, programs that no one watches are still on television, repeaters of ideas and unidirectional thoughts. and absurdities, that crush us like almond seeds; However, Cristian Alejandro's program was to entertain, including the beauty with good sense and good taste of the presenter who is very telegenic and coherent.
Did they really take it off the air due to lack of budget or is it that mediocrity can't stand the light, what's different?
In the Zone with Cristian Alejandro, a program that we made with all our love, from the beginning we had its detractors. It was a different show, a very well-dressed presenter speaking colloquially, without rigidity, without vulgarity (something very common these days), with light and less hackneyed interviews, from the heart, a program to relax and have fun.
We did crazy things like interviewing the boxer Julio César La Cruz in the ring, punching Cristian, and as a culmination a duet with the guest artist where the presenter showed that he could sing any genre. I want to tell you something as a professional, Cristian is among the best singers in Cuba and people recognized that.
The program reached the hearts of the people who were very upset when it was removed. It was decided that it was terminated due to lack of budget and although it was a real problem, I know that behind that decision there were a few detractors but with great power in the media saying that it was a program frivolous, banal and other nonsense.
It was a bad decision to remove it, people still tell us to put it back. Neither Cristian nor I have ever had so many nice and positive opinions together. There were hundreds of thousands of favorable opinions about the show, it hurt us a lot when they took it off the air.
Today's Cuba, where apathy exists, the insufficiency of healthcare (unrelated to the doctors who make extraordinary efforts), the inflation of market products, MLC stores, embarrassing salaries, the lack of electricity and food supply. water repeatedly… what is your opinion?
I don't know where to start, I don't like to talk about these neuralgic issues and I clarify that I am not afraid of them, but controversy leads to division and my mission in this world is to unite people, to give love; I have never liked to get involved in anything that is not my art because I consider that everything else, and pay attention to how I say it, everything else, is shit and pardon the word.
All my work has been about making those who listen to me happy, I have done it even in the worst moments of my life and when we start talking about these topics we start to divide... but you can't cover the sun with a finger!
In my opinion, since I am not an expert in politics or economics, this is not the first time they have made a mistake. They constantly implement measures that most affect the personal economy of the most humble people, who are the vast majority.
There are more and more people who are upset, dissatisfied. During the history of Humanity, many men have generated “ideas and concepts” with the objectives of “improving society” and ultimately they have been more about personal growth than social growth and in the end what they have achieved is to affect many people, that is now It is a constant practice in Cuba, it is a shame, and it bothers me a lot.
In this regard, there is an uncovering of opinions about the general situation in Cuba, no one is inhibited anymore. Do you think that giving your opinion about the citizen situation in general is a danger?
I don't think so, if we learn to appreciate the feelings of the people, despite the difficult and precarious situation that the country has, we could begin to improve. The people are always right and that is what we should look at.
If there are people who do not agree... they should not be imprisoned for disagreeing! Dissent is a personal right of each person, there is a lack of dialogue. I feel that a look with a different perspective could save our country. I suffer a lot with what is happening, it hurts me that so many people are leaving, so many people having a bad time, so many young people without illusions; I have deep pain for the breakup of the family.
If this were a script for a movie and that man's name was Edesio and the city where this film begins was Havana, then you know that we are referring to a great Cuban musician with a very personal style, with a very substantial as well as generous temperament.
Artist who harmoniously fused electroacoustic music with symphonic music, rock, rap, hip hop, and funk. Furthermore, his name is also Alejandro and as the name suggests, he is great and has conquered the world with his music, winning multiple awards throughout his vast career; Named ambassador and active voter of the Hollywood and Goya film academies, as well as the Grammy and Latin Grammy awards.
Three Honoris Causa Doctorates, Cuban National Music Award, Batuta Award. For this reason, Edesio Alejandro is in the preference of many with his "Today and always still" and "Through the streets", with his "Blen Blen" to the Swiss Alps where they listen to him. This is why my interlocutor today in "Secrets of Silence" has conquered the largest empire today: his family.
Tell me about your life in recent years.
It has been difficult living away from home and with this illness, we lost my mother-in-law and my second father while here. We couldn't go because Idolka had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing post-surgery. We have lived through hard times, it has been complex to insert myself in this country because although many of us were born to “Galician” grandparents we have no roots, no history.
We have grown up in the face of disappointments, I did not try to enter as a film composer. I came with my feet on the ground, I thought I would work as an editing, sound or image assistant... no one gave me a hand!
We cried a lot, they were difficult months, I didn't know what to do. One day I woke up and felt that I had to generate the product that God was giving me, the opportunity to reinvent myself. Then I called my friend Jesús López, who introduced me to two gypsy artists, Nyno Vargas, very talented who mixes urban music with flamenco and is one of the great young artists of this country and Tito Losada, a great guy, one of the greats of flamenco music that, among many others, has a monumental work called Misa Flamenca.
Together with them and my co-writer Iván Barbería we wrote two films that I feel will be very well received. We already shot the teaser for “The Nyno effect” and we are showing it to several production companies. It is going to be a film that is very popular with young audiences.
We just finished the script “Gypsy of Law” which about the life of Tito Losada, tells the story of how the gypsy people arrived in Spain and the brutal vicissitudes they have gone through.
It is a historical film mixed with fantasy, I am sure it will have a great impact. We are locating Antonio Banderas to propose to him. Jesús contacted me with Pedro Castro and Kitflus, two monstrous Catalan artists and with D.Kantaca who mixes flamenco with Cuban timba.
We wrote the outline for three documentaries, one for my guitar teacher Flores Chaviano. We are looking for budget for the three documentaries. We wrote two series, one that we are going to present to William Levy and another about the life of Álvaro Torres, and many other projects that we are proposing to production companies in Europe.
Together with Cristian I did the spot for the new Ron Santiago for Europe. The protagonist was the dancer Carlos Acosta. It was a great experience; As you see, we haven't stopped working. My last film Mambo Man, which I directed with Mo Fini, has already surpassed 135 awards.
I am doing social work with SGAE and the “Acción por la Música” foundation. I want to thank the Friends of Albacete association that gave me recognition for my career and say that I am nominated for the Musa Awards, the Hall of Fame of Latin Composers, I am grateful.
I thank Rudy Pérez, Desmond Child and Betsy Pérez for being nominated with greats of our music such as Jorge Luis Piloto, Luny Túnez, Fito Páez, Caetano Veloso, Vico C, Rosario Flores, Juan Manuel Serrat, Jorge Drexler and Ian Chester.
I don't want to finish without first thanking the great God and my friends Eglita and Dennys, José and Queti, Domino and Esther, my teacher Flores Chaviano and Ana, my doctor Rayna as well as Yamila, David, Mayito, Tania, Mila, Rafa Tena, Yaser, Rangel, Grilli, Esley, Alex, Mauricio Abad, Janet, Barbarita, Nanda, Tonito, to the Red Cross, Pedro, Odalis, Marla, to Father Vladimir and his Cobijo project, to Father Ricardo and the Vida Nueva church for the Nations, to my brothers Janet and Alejandro, my brothers-in-law Orlando and Mary, my nephews Gabriela, Denys, Edito and Elianys and Aunt Benny. If I still breathe it is thanks to them. It has been a hard year, but with the fruitful surname, we have grown and escaped from the ashes like the Phoenix.
And the boy Edesio Alejandro is always thinking, with his head full of musical notes; He doesn't care about a violin, a cello, a bassoon, an electric guitar or some batá drums.
If this were a movie, this kid would go from town to town penniless; whether he got sunstroke, whether they applauded him or not, and he would shout at the top of his voice that he was not going to be a journalist like Mom. Simple… that child was going to be an artist!
What do you think?
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