Cuban Memoirs
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Cuban Memoirs is an album I recorded with the complete piano music by distinguished Cuban composer Andrés Alén. Alen's works are characterized by a unique fusion of Cuban dance, jazz, and classical genres. His works have been performed by such legendary Cuban musicians as Arturo Sandoval and Paquito D’ Rivera, among others. Alen has been described as “one of Cuba’s most complete musicians.” I studied with Alen for 8 years in Cuba and wrote my doctoral dissertation on all his piano music. This album represents a moment in my life full of discoveries and enjoyment of music. I'm very happy to be able to share with you the music of this sophisticated Cuban composer through this album, which is so personal to me. The album will be released in July by the Delos record label and I'm seeking your support to cover the manufacturing and production costs of the album. Cuban Memoirs will allow Alen's keyboard music to finally getting the international exposure that it so richly deserves.
On June 2018, I ran a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the manufacturing and production of the album. The project was successfully funded by 54 supporters from around the world. For more information, visit my campaign page to learn more about my successful fundraiser.
Andrés Alén's CD endorsement
As a composer, I’m always surprised when listening to my music as performed by other musicians, with their different approaches that are sometimes new and unexpected. I certainly find this process to be very interesting and challenging. But the truth is that I am somehow happiest when hearing performances of my works that are as close as possible to the original ideas that inspired them. It’s almost like when I “heard” them for the first time in my head before even writing them down. This composer performer affinity is exactly what I feel when listening to William Villaverde’s recording. Because of his unique knowledge of classical, jazz and Cuban music genres, he truly understands the nature of my works, bringing out the different styles and effects in the proper places and combining them seamlessly into a coherent whole. His brilliant technique and interpretive skills do the rest to achieve great performances of my music. Thank you, William.
— Andrés Alén
CD Reviews
Click below to read a CD review by Cuban blogger and music critic Rafael de Acha
Click below to read a CD review by Dominy Clements from Music Web International
