A posthumous double album by Cuban singer-songwriter Pablo Milanés (1943-2022) entitled “Amor y Salsa – 80 Aniversario”, recorded before his death together with artists such as Alejandro Sanz, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Juanes, Ana Belén and Diego Torres , was released this Friday in its entirety.
“After the release of several singles, which had been advancing this posthumous work by Cuban musician Pablo Milanés, ‘Amor y salsa – 80 Aniversario’ finally arrives in its entirety”, The Spanish artistic company Mirmidón said in a statement.
This tribute album was created several years ago by Dagoberto González Jr., executive producer of the project, musical director and arranger of all the songs.
“Pablo, excited about this project for a few years, could count on the participation of excellent musicians and virtuoso instrumentalists giving it the freshness and charisma that this new album transmits to us,” the statement added.
For the recording of this double album of new versions, performed as a duet except for two songs in which Milanes sings solo, the author of “Para vivir” and “Yolanda” surrounded himself with great artists with a single goal: “Pay tribute ” to his work, “this time in a salsa version”.
Such renowned talents collaborated on the project, in addition to those mentioned, such as Andy Montañez, Oscar D’León, Rosario, Ismael Miranda, Luis Enrique, La India, Francisco Céspedes, El Canario, Aymée Nuviola and Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Yotuel, Caco Senante, Victor Manuelle and Isaac Delgado.
All of them have expressed, through their interpretations“his admiration for the work of the Cuban singer-songwriter”.
Regarding Milanés’ career, it was highlighted that the Cuban “has been able to approach a diversity of musical genres throughout his work, from tradition to modernity, from ‘filin’ to the new song, going through jazz to rumba, the son or the bolero”.
That interpretative versatility of Milanés is now expanded with this “world premiere” in the salsa genre under the orchestration and arrangements of Dagoberto González Jr., with whom he shares “a long musical history by being part of his group for more than 25 years and having produced and musically directed several albums by the maestro”.
The choice of the 20 songs that make up the album fell mainly on González Jr., who, in close relationship with Milanés, “was weaving an album full of musical strength in a genre so rooted in the musical tradition of Cuban son combined with salsa “.
On the album, the fan of Milanés will find classic songs from his career such as “El breve espacio en que no está”, on this occasion performed in the company of “the elegance” of the Puerto Rican Gilberto Santa Rosa (El Caballero de la Salsa); ‘Para vivir’, with “flamenco winks” in his arrangements and which he performed together with Alejandro Sanz, or “Yo no te pido”, next to the overwhelming force of La India.
Also noteworthy is the song “Años”, performed with Oscar D’León, where “his talented way of improvising stands out”, to mention some of the songs composed by Milanés “that have traveled the world and reappear in this double album of new versions”. .
Milanés’s work also includes other lesser-known themes and some unpublished ones that correspond to very recent compositions, such as “Día de Luz” (2014), which the Colombian Juanes interpreted with “the skill of a sonero; or one of his most recent compositions, ‘From the portal’ (2017), with Francisco Céspedes.
Also among the songs is “Matinal”, a love song that on this album he sings together with the Puerto Rican Ismael Miranda, “one of the pillars of salsa music of all time”.
The album brings together 18 collaborations and 2 songs that Milanés performs alone.
Recorded between Havana, Madrid, Miami, Puerto Rico, New Jersey and New York, this album “adds to the enormous legacy that the Cuban composer left us throughout his artistic career and that can now be enjoyed in various formats: 2CD with 24-page booklet, 2 LP Format and digital album”.