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The Brazilian singer-songwriter Chico Buarque is visiting Havana. This is his first trip to Cuba in over thirty years, at the invitation of his friend and colleague Silvio Rodríguez, the leading figure of Nueva Trova Cubana.
"Thirty-four years after his last visit to Cuba, Chico Buarque arrived in Havana yesterday at the invitation of singer and songwriter Silvio Rodríguez, one of the leading figures of the so-called Nueva Trova Cubana. Amid the tightening of sanctions against the island and the worsening economic and energy crisis, this trip is a show of solidarity with the people of the country," can be read on the Facebook profile of the Brazilian singer-songwriter.
"Friends for over five decades, the two will enter the studio tomorrow to record a new version of Sueño con Serpientes, a classic from Silvio's repertoire, which the Brazilian artist has already translated into Portuguese and recorded other songs," adds the publication.
This Thursday, both entered the Ojalá studio, located in the Playa municipality of Havana and owned by Silvio Rodríguez, to carry out the recording session.
The session featured the participation of Niurka González on the flute, Jorge Reyes on the double bass, Malva Rodríguez on the piano, and Oliver Valdés on the drums, with arrangements by Jorge Aragón.
The new version of "Sueño con serpientes" - a classic originally included in the album "Días y flores" from 1975 - will be released soon on all digital music platforms.
It's not the first time Buarque has performed Silvio's work: in 1978, he had already recorded "Pequeña serenata diurna" and on other occasions he adapted the Cuban's songs into Portuguese.
Buarque concluded his publication by noting that the visit strengthens the ties between two central figures in Latin American music, historically connected by aesthetic affinities and political commitment on the continent.
The Brazilian singer-songwriter traveled with his wife, the lawyer Carol Proner, and her son, Francisco Proner, who took the photographs showing both artists strolling along the Havana Malecón, with the iconic classic cars from the 1950s in the background.
Alongside the musical dimension, the visit also included a humanitarian gesture: Buarque and Proner donated essential medications to the Ministry of Health of the island, at a time when Cuba is facing a shortage of 461 out of 651 medications in the Basic Medicines List, impacting approximately five million patients with chronic illnesses.
The trip takes place against a backdrop of extreme tension for the island.
A few weeks ago, Silvio Rodríguez sparked much discussion by publicly demanding a Kalashnikov AKM rifle on his blog "Segunda Cita" in response to a possible aggression from the United States.
The Cuban regime did not hesitate to fulfill the singer-songwriter's wish and presented it to him at an official event on March 20 with Díaz-Canel in attendance.
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