Los Zafiros. With all Our Strength.
Love is present in the foundations of any great endeavor, of every great project, that's why everyone of us does everything with all the heart and want to feel a Zafiro. These were the words by Jorge E. Echeverría, director of the present quartet of voices named Los Zafiros, a quartet that was founded in 1962 and became a landmark in the Cuban popular music of that time. In the 1970's, this retrospective quartet was dismembered due to causes of different nature among them, the early deaths of some of its members.
In 1977 and as a homage paid to the previous exceptional quartet, they performed in the context of the 19th International Festival of the Latin-American New Cinema in the film "Zafiros, locura azul" (Zafiros, Blue Craze) which won the popularity award. It was like bringing back to the present, that characteristic way of performing music for its perfect tuning, rare harmony and particular style as Bellecita, Ofelia, La caminadora, Un nombre de mujer, Hermosa Habana, Bossa cubano, Herido de sombra, He venido, Rumba como quiera... and many others that today attract the great audience, irrespective of age.
The Magic of "Los Zafiros" After a 10-year term of silence, Eduardo Hernández (El Chino), one of the founding members, engaged in rescuing the quartet, helped by Mariano Suárez del Villar, who at that time was the ICRT musical technician and by another member of Los Zafiros, Manuel Galván, guitarist and arranger. In the first place, they sought the voices that much resembled them¾Jorge pointed out¾similar timbres, everything, with the aim of following the same path of their predecessors.
The essential motivation of this noble enterprise was that of rescuing those themes that have remained in the heart of the people; on the other hand, there was a second intention, that of adding new melodies, expanding the repertoire with the same style and melodic line.
Thus a quartet of voices emerged in 1987. What is that type of spell cast by Los Zafiros on those who have the privilege to listen to them? It is the atmosphere created by the perfect tuning of four voices which profit from their characteristic timbres and vocal effects, it is also that sense of belonging to a quartet whose roots should be sought in the most genuine tradition of the Cuban music.
The Same and the Other Zafiros There are some who questioned the authenticity of the quartet, stating that this is an imitation, a copy of those Zafiros of the 1960's and to this statement, the director answers: "it has been an honor for us to turn our eyes to a quartet that has deeply influenced our people: the fact that our voices resemble theirs as well as their timbres, fill us with pride."
Today's "Los Zafiros" is regarded as an emblematic quartet, their members are engaged in rescuing a valuable tradition of the Cuban music and they have achieved it. Thanks to hard work and recognized values, these themes that in a historic time made the hearts vibrate and fed the spirit of thousands listeners, relived in the voices of Ramón Espinosa (falsetto), Miguel Ángel Savuren (3rd. voice), Mario Pérez Solís (2nd voice) and Jorge E. Echeverría (4ta. voice and director), with the company of guitarist Israel Hernández López
The scenarios of Cuba and of the world receive today's Los Zafiros with the same spirit that they received yesterday's Los Zafiros. This quartet celebrates its thirteen anniversary of artistic life this year 2001. Everything has been done¾stressed their director¾with respect toward those Zafiros that preceded them, this is "A cuerpo entero" (with all our strength) which means "wholeheartedly".
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