When there are yellow flowers on the trees in José Martí Park, the Cantores de Cienfuegos choir is celebrating its anniversary. A parallelism that places us in the middle of two gifts that do not always have each other, like the wings of a city that beats differently in a different Island. For that anniversary a concert program comes to light, and people applaud standing, with the passion accumulated in that act of gratitude.
The coronavirus is also the virus of choral groups, an event that forces them to reinvent themselves with new technologies, without losing sight of the fact that singing is still an art that makes sense in the closeness between performers and audiences. "Cantores de Cienfuegos" knows it, and with that perspective turns to social networks.
"Our instrument is the voice, and for us it is essential to sing together, because chamber music is made that way (...) Technology has been an ally and in this part we have grown a lot from the individual and collective level. We had to redesign our rehearsal systems from digital platforms. Never before had we worked in such a personalized way; the musicians are more concerned about their voice, their vocal technique (...) It has made me venture into social networks, something that has not been my forte, we already have more than 1,200 followers on Facebook", said Honey Moreira, director of the emblematic choral group, which celebrated its 59th anniversary last March.
Even though the choristers are still active, they can no longer socialize as they used to in the entrances and exits of rehearsals. They no longer sing as a group, physically close to each other, nor does their voice sound the same through the mask. All these realities were ignored by those from Cienfuegos, and in an online concert program they banished the variables hung to a pandemic.
A repertoire with a variety of styles characterized the more than 18 minutes of live choral music, which made their Cuban and international audience coincide in cyberspace. Iconic themes in the Cuban pentagram such as: Luna Cienfueguera, Los Tamalitos de Olga and El baile del buey cansa'o were performed from dramaturgical liberties for the total enjoyment of those who applauded through emojis and virtual likes.
"Covid-19 made us think about the future and get going (...) technology helps, but the important thing is that it dialogues well with the artistic fact and serves us as a resource that enhances our message and musical action (...) During this stage we have participated in online events such as an International Festival in Argentina and other important ones in Cuba such as the Santa Clara Canta Festival and A Tempo con Caturla", Moreira added.
It is clear that the hybridization between in-person and online is on the table for musicians of the 21st century, to live in these two waters is to rethink an entire life. However, the brilliance of "Cantores de Cienfuegos" in their last concert shows that everything can be possible when the creative bomb blooms again and again, like the trees of José Martí Park, so yellow and unique.
The music of this collective always saves, and in this time there will be no exceptions; their light comes day by day, without eclipses from May to May. They come with everything to sing to us.
Taken from 5 de Septiembre
English version Hector Hdez.Azurina staff.