Haydée Milanés Won Americans Over with great Cuban Songs

Cuban singer Haydée Milanés, one of the many figures of the island who share her art with the United States today, left those attending the concert she offered, asking for more.

In the company of her trio and with her melodious voice as a weapon to win the public over, the singer performed last night at the stage of the Eisenhower Theater of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in a unique concert with songs of her authorship and of renowned composers.

Sitting at the piano, amid an intimate atmosphere that enraptured the audience, the artist began with a piece of her own, En el muro del malecón (On the sea wall), then she continued with Libélula (Dragonfly), of one of the currently most internationally known Cuban musicians, Descemer Bueno.

I am very happy to participate in this wonderful event where we, the Cuban musicians, are sharing and taking our art to the American public, to the Latino community, expressed the singer about the festival Artes de Cuba: From the Island to the World, which is taking place at the F. Kennedy Center.

During her concert, Haydée also gave away classics from the Cuban pentagram, such as La gloria eres tú (Glory is you), by José Antonio Méndez, and Palabras (Words), by Marta Valdés.

As expected, she interpreted anthological songs from her father, Pablo Milanés, co-founder of the Nueva Trova movement and one of the most acclaimed Cuban artists worldwide.

From this renowned singer-songwriter, she presented Ya se va aquella edad (That age is gone), Ámame como soy (Love me as I am) and Amor (Love), which deserved great applause.

Also of the authorship of Pablo, the singer sang Para vivir (To live), and the Eisenhower Theater erupted in cheers when his father came to the stage to join their voices in this song which is already a hymn of several generations of the Caribbean nation.

Then the founder of the Nueva Trova played solo pieces like Matinal (Morning) and Vestida de mar (Dressed with the sea), and leaved the audience enraptured with other songs accompanied by his daughter, including his well known themes De qué callada manera (In what a quiet way) and Yolanda, the latter chanted by those present.

At the end of the concert, after almost twenty songs, attendees wanted more, and they sang El breve espacio en que no estás (The brief space in which you're not), another of the iconic themes of the artist.

In spite of the wide proposal, the singers left between cries of 'another', 'another', that more than a claim seemed the evidence of how pleased the spectators were with the presentation.

In addition to that show, the festival Artes de Cuba included the debut of the theater on Wednesday, with the staging of Las amargas lágrimas de Petra von Kant (The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant) by the company El Público.

Meanwhile, the Millennium Stage featured the performance of the company Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Cuban Experience, named after the legendary trumpeter, singer and American composer Dizzy Gillespie.

During the 1940s and 50s, that musician collaborated with the great Cuban percussionist Chano Pozo in the genesis of the style known as Cu-bop or Afro-Cuban jazz.