“Old Songs Always New” is the title of the tribute that will be paid to the beloved singer-songwriter from Villa Clara, Teresita Fernández (1930-2013), next Sunday, January 11, at 3:00 pm, at the National Museum of Fine Arts Theater.
Songs composed by the author of “Lo feo” and “Mi gatico Vinagrito,” which are not part of her most widely known repertoire but are just as beautiful, tender, and evocative—like all her work for children—will be brought to the stage by singer Olga Blanco and a group of artists, Rubén Darío Salazar, National Theater Award winner (2020) and director of the Teatro de las Estaciones Company, told the Cuban News Agency exclusively.
He explained that this project originated in Matanzas from the collaboration between his company, the children’s musical company Gabi y Sofi, actor Freddy Maragotto, and, of course, Olga, an artist with more than 30 years of experience. The project also features the arrangements, keyboards, and musical direction of Raúl Valdés Lima, a renowned musician who has worked with his company, as well as with Teatro Papalote, El Mirón Cubano, and Danza Espiral.
What we want with “Old Songs Always New” is, quite simply, for Teresita to remain alive in the social, collective, and national memory; in the children being born now, because she has always been for all generations, added the 2023 Youth Master.
Referring to the songs in the show, the screenwriter and artistic director explained that they are not the most common ones by the legendary singer, the ones that are always sung; instead, they chose a group of them—14, to be exact—that, while not new, were also not the most popular: “Joaquinito,” “Elefantito Tito,” “Lagartijita Verde,” and “Mariquita la cotorrita,” among others.
I believe that all of Teresita’s music has the right to exist, to be; and for that, several people came together; in the case of the music, we have instrumentalists from the Matanzas Symphony Orchestra: on the flute, Irina Madrazo; The oboe of Doly Díaz; and the bassoon of Patricia García; in addition to the choreography of Gelsys Gonzalez and Yadiel Durán; the graphic design of Dyan Barcelo; and the costume, puppet, set, and lighting design by National Theater Award winner (2020) Zenen de Jesús Calero Medina.
It could be a very beautiful, very necessary proposal, with a spiritual height that we must strive to reach, in addition to maintaining the one we already have and nurturing it for new generations; because, ultimately, the author speaks of nature, family, friendship, ecology, homeland, love, and that will never go out of style, much less in these times of war and so much socioeconomic upheaval.
Dance, puppets, and poetry will bring magic to the National Museum of Fine Arts Theater on Sunday, because we must help children continue to be the hope of this world, concluded the Santiago native who is most at home in Matanzas, one of the artisans of beauty for the benefit of the little friends—both boys and girls—who sing to always have a happy heart, paraphrasing another famous “hymn” by Teresita.
[ SOURCE: AGENCIA CUBANA DE NOTICIAS ]
