Pancho Amat presents 'Memorias'

Havana, July 5 (RHC)-- Cuban maestro, tres guitar player Pancho Amat, presented his latest production entitled "Memorias", the winner of this year’s Cubadisco Prize in the category of Traditional Son Album.

Released under EGREM’s label, the 11-track album won nominations also for the coveted prize in the categories of album notes and design.

Addressing those present, musicologist Élsida González described Amat as one of the greatest all-time exponents of Cuban son. ‘He not only performs son with his tres guitar, but he is also an active researcher, constantly studying the origin and evolution of the music genre and sharing everything he knows and learns with his pupils, the younger generations of Cuban musicians. 

She praised the way in which Pancho Amat combines son music and another iconic Cuban genre trova. She mentioned specifically Pancho Amat’s previous album «El Swing del Son», released in 2019.

This time, that famed tres guitar player combines son and several other Cuban and Latin American genres and sounds, notably classical music and jazz.

Pancho Amat spoke about the recording process, which began in 2021, but was halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In ‘Memorias’, Pancho is accompanied by his band Cabildo del Son, but in some tracks he recreates the sound of Manguaré, a band he founded in 1971 and led for 15 years.

The last track is entitled ‘Te esperaré’, as tribute to Cuban doctors fighting Covid-19 on the island and abroad.

Guest artists include pianist Emilio Morales, bassist Gastón Joya, violin player Irving Frontela, clarinet player Javier Salva, flutist Orlando Valle “Maraca”, among others.