Spanish Priest Created Techno Music 80 Years Ago

More than 80 years ago, a Spanish priest created a device to produce electronic music and broadcast it using a telegraph, a method similar to some used nowadays, said researcher Miguel Angel Delgado. The forgotten inventor was the priest Juan Garcia Castillejo, who created a so-called musical electro-composer device in 1933, long before the traditionally recognized origins of techno music during the 1980's in the United States. According to the research published in the book "Inventar en el Desierto" (Inventing in the Desert) the device was a programmable machine, capable of creating musical patterns using a sound and time selector, an engine to combine notes and mechanical vibrators. In statements to the specialized journal Materia, Miguel Molina, professor of Sound Art at the Faculty of Fine Arts of Valencia, said that this was a precedent for applications like Podcast or Spotify. Molina pointed out that in 1944 the priest published the book "La telegrafia rapida, el triteclado" (The swift telegraphy, the tri-keyboard), which dealt with the possibility of combining telegraphy, teletypewriter and typewriter keyboards with electronic music. All the inventions disappeared with the 1985 death of Garcia, considered by Molina to be a priest who created techno music in the 1940's. A relative of the priest told the Materia journal that his uncle kept an audio tape with instructions for manufacturing the electro-composer device under key, but it disappeared and the genius of the inventor, who died impoverished, was never officially recognized. / With information from Prensa Latina

Cuba Sends to the World Great Musical Talent, says Descemer Bueno

One of the most important and popular musicians today is undoubtedly Descemer Bueno. Although his beginnings in music were not in fact as songwriter, it’s precisely his career as songwriter which has taken him to stardom. "I am very proud of being born in Cuba. I believe that the world needs the Cuban talent so music still lives on", said Descemer in exclusively for Cubasí. One of the most important and popular musicians today is undoubtedly Descemer Bueno. Although his beginnings in music were not in fact as songwriter, it’s precisely his career as songwriter which has taken him to stardom. He’s got a wide musical career; he was part of the group Estado de Animo later joining Yerba Buena. Composer of the Year at the Cubadisco Festival 2013 for his album Bueno. His work as a composer verges on the excellence, a good example of this is the Goya Award to the best Original Soundtrack in the film Havana Blues, a film by the Spanish director Benito Zambrano. He has collaborated with international artists, but his projects with singer Enrique Iglesias are the most recognized worldwide. Iglesias produced the song Bailando which he sings next to duet Gente de Zona. Many of Descemer’s song are really catchy and show a before and after in his career. He speaks about his career in an interview for Cubasí. - Descemer, you have a wide career as musician, however you are worldwide recognized for your talent as songwriter and composer. Which are your main sources of inspiration? - I am inspired by all the key facts, before I was really inspired by songwriters like Silvio, Pablo, and Santiago. Musically I have always loved Jazz and instrumental music. After I graduated as guitarist I began a career as bass player and I played for a lot of people like Santiago, Julio Fowler and troubadours like Vanito Brown and Kerwin Du Bois. - Of all their compositions, which one has meant more to you and which one launched you to the fame? - Fame is really fickle when you are a composer; we hardly ever see fame, although there are well-known composers within the world of composers. There are also people who are interested in the life of those who make music, but they are very few. In my particular case, I am very lucky because I have songs in my repertoire that people enjoy greatly. Many of my songs are in the voice of other artists like Luz Casal, and Ana Torroja from Spain. They are among the most outstanding voices of Spain. There’s also Enrique Iglesias a more international singer whose career is large in the English-speaking market, Thalía from Mexico, Marco Antonio Solís with the song El perdedor, and Cuando me enamoro with Juan Luis Guerra, but back then many people outside Cuba didn't know who was Descemer Bueno, I was only known in the ethnic migration and I truly believe the song Bailando is the one which has won me a place in the planet, so to speak, because people are looking at faces internationally unknown like Gente de Zona and me, this has been like a cross over for us. - Talk to me about the new disk you are preparing, what artists participate in it? - We are aiming at getting at the international market and to that purpose I am planning repeat the formula. It is not just the help of a nice voice singing next to you, but rather the person you approach to ask for a favor. They contribute with their followers, I have very good friends who have already made formal requests to join me in the disk like Ana Torrojas who is also a star, there’s also Reyli Barba, Julieta Venegas, and Enrique Iglesias. They are artists who work very well in Mexico. Mexico is an objective for me; it’s a country where music and songs are loved. I had a good experience there with Enrique opening shows at the Auditorium and I think it’s a perfect country to receive me. - You have collaborated with famous artists like Enrique Iglesias. - I have been very lucky with Enrique, in the album launched for Latin America I have a duet with him of the song Loco. After that came Bailando which I made popular here, starting with Havana and later spread throughout the whole island, it has reach number one in 23 countries and it may be the song of the summer. It’s probably one of the most important songs in Enrique's career and mine, no doubt about it. - Bailando is one of the most popular songs. What do you think that is? - I wrote this song thinking of Enrique and I took it to him when it was still premature. We both finished it and we wrote in a way that was comfortable for him to sing it. Afterwards Randy and Alexander gave it a finishing touch, I didn't think the song could be improve any further and yet, they put in the most interesting parts, though little, it was great. The success can be given to many things, for example, the strength of Cuba as promoter of not just sport and medicine, but also music capable of convincing the world, a very natural fusion of what we know as flamenco culture, urban music and good lyrics. I am very proud of being born in Cuba which has always shown to the world a lot of musical talent. There are truly artists that have heart to participate with us on what would be the Cuban music's phenomenon from the underground music until the most contemporary and custom music. - You have had the opportunity to travel and know new horizons, however, you have not given up your roots. - I feel very well in Barcelona, it is one of the cities I like the most in the world; New York, Guadalajara, Mexico DF. I have not visited as many countries as I wanted to; I know little of Latin America. What I find interesting of a nation is how I can interact with the most creative elements of that nation; it is very hard to break so many chains and so many closed doors that it is very difficult to open them all. In Cuba there are many artists who have been very important during their time and they approach me wondering the keys for a comeback, the only thing that is necessary is to keep working hard and I believe I have done. Working is one of the things that bring me near the roots of my country, I have a family of musicians who supports me and a wonderful team that I would love to have in other places. / With information from www.cubasi.cu

Hotel Pernik, in the memory of visitors

The Pernik hotel of Holguin, remains in the memory of visitors who have arrived to this eastern city of Cuba. The facility was built on the Jorge Dimitrov avenue as result of the relationship between Cuba and Bulgaria. Already there and at first glance, the lobby shows a view rich in art, in shades to define, not with words but with graphics, as it looks like an art gallery exhibit inviting visitors to interpret the world of art. Also the artistic design of rooms looks like a ritual, where nine of them were turned into art galleries linked to different personalities of Cuban culture. Opened on December 31, 1980, the Pernik was the first facility to be awarded the Biarin '90 plate, with the architecture prize in the First Biennial of Architecture and Engineering in the contest of works and accomplishments. It has several spaces inside carrying recognized names of Bulgaria, as the Pliska bar, the pool-bar Danube and the Sofia and Varna restaurants, which show the excellence of this hotel that stands out within the ISLAZUL hotel chain. / With information from www.ahora.cu / photos by Elder Leyva