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The pianist, composer, and cultural manager Orlando Vistel Columbié passed away this Sunday in Havana at the age of 72, according to an announcement by the Cuban Institute of Music (ICM) in an official statement shared on their social media.
Born in Santiago de Cuba into a family with a long musical tradition, Vistel Columbié was one of the most influential figures in Cuban musical institutions over the past few decades, both for his artistic work and for his leadership of state cultural organizations.
His training began at the Esteban Salas Conservatory in Santiago de Cuba, founded in 1959 in tribute to the composer Esteban Salas y Castro, who is regarded as one of the first Cuban composers. He later completed his studies at the National School of Music and the Higher Institute of Art, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Composition under the mentorship of composer Carlos Fariñas, the note indicates.
The ICM highlighted that "his artistic versatility was the result of a combination of inherited talent and a solid academic training." Throughout his career, he was a part of the Orquesta Típica Alborada, Grupo Estudio 2, Grupo Cinquillo Cubano, and Conjunto Saratoga. In 1994, he founded his own group, Calor Cubano, with which he performed works of his own authorship and interpretations of the nation's traditional repertoire.
In parallel with his artistic career, he developed an extensive teaching role. He taught at the School of Arts Instructors of El Caney de las Mercedes in Santiago de Cuba; at the Conservatory of Manzanillo, where he served as director; and at the National School of Music and the Higher Institute of Art, the statement notes.
He was a founder of the ICM, an official entity under the Ministry of Culture responsible for the country's music policy, where he served as vice president and later as president. The official statement noted that from these positions, he made "decisive contributions to the development of national musical institutions." He was also a member of the UNEAC and president of its Musicians' Association, a role he actively held until January of this year, when he participated as a judge in the Harold Gramatges Composition Awards.
However, his management of the ICM was not without controversy. In 2012, he led campaigns against reggaeton and genres labeled as "pseudo-artistic," even declaring that "neither vulgarity nor mediocrity can tarnish the richness of Cuban music." In December 2016, the Ministry of Culture prevented the presentation of the Interactivo collective at the New Orleans Jazz Festival, a decision linked to his leadership at the ICM.
The Cuban singer Yanela Brooks publicly accused him of sabotaging her career. In a interview published in February 2024, Brooks stated that "my career and artistic promotion were seriously sabotaged by Orlando Vistel Columbié, who always tried to push my career into oblivion," blocking international tours, television appearances, and public broadcasts.
A member of the Communist Party of Cuba, the ICM's note described her work as "an example of an unwavering commitment to serving Cuban Culture and the Revolution." In recognition of her career, she was awarded the Juan Marinello Order.
His passing adds to a streak of losses for Cuban music in recent months: in March, Jorge Gómez, founder of Grupo Moncada, passed away; in February, Amado Dedeu, founder of Clave and Guaguancó and Grammy Latino winner, died; and in January, the Instituto Cubano de la Música expressed condolences over the death of singer Alfredo Rodríguez.
Figures from the music and entertainment world such as Waldo Mendoza, Orlando Valle (Maraca), Aymee Nuviola, Carlos Ele Alfonso, and Reynier Mariño expressed their condolences in comments to the ICM note regarding the passing.
By family decision, the wake for Orlando Vistel Columbié will be held in a private ceremony, as reported by ICM, which, on behalf of the Ministry of Culture, extended "the warmest condolences" to his family and friends.
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