Cervantes - Danzas Cubanas, Manuel Barrueco

Ignacio Cervantes (Havana, Cuba,1847-1905) is one of the most important and most beloved Cuban composers of the nineteenth century. His Cuban Dances are based largely on Cuban popular culture, which is treated with elegance and refinement. Syncopated rhythms typical of Cuban music are ever present in his dances, as well as melodies full of charm and melancholy. The titles of his dances were often whimsical, as can be appreciated in these five dances I have chosen to transcribe: El Velorio (The Wake), La Celosa (The Jealous One), Mensaje (Message), Adiós a Cuba (Farewell to Cuba), and Los Tres Golpes (The Three Knocks).

Manuel Barrueco