The Gibson Gives Foundation, from the famous American guitar company, gave a donation of instruments to Cuban students from music.
The delivery took place this week at the National School of Music, in Havana, where a group of its students offered a concert in gratitude for the donation.
Michel Derek Walter, representative of Gibson Gives, said that the action is part of the “Cuerdas del Alma” program, which for three years will be extended to other string instruments.
For its part, the National Center for Art Schools indicated on its social networks that this donation “contributes to the development of artistic education in Cuba,” although it did not offer details about the donated guitars or their distribution.
A source consulted by OnCuba indicated that the donation includes electric and acoustic guitars for Cuban students of that specialty.
In addition, as part of his visit, Derek Walter exchanged with artists from the island, asking them about Cuban music and commenting that his organization wanted to increase collaborations in Cuba.
“He insisted that he wanted to see the possibility of helping Cuban musicians,” he told OnCuba guitarist Dagoberto Pedraja, one of the leading names in rock on the island.
Pedraja considered that this exchange between Gibson and Cuban musicians and students has been “very important.”
“It is a door that opens. We will see what happens from now on, but it has been a very satisfying meeting”, added the guitarist.
Gibson was founded in 1894 in Michigan and has been one of the largest guitar manufacturing companies in the world for decades. Their instruments are in great demand among musicians and have been used by great figures in the history of rock and other genres.
His foundation, Gibson Gives, dates back to 2002, and develops and supports different non-profit programs and initiatives, many of them focused on youth.
The delivery of the donation and the exchanges carried out by the Gibson representative in Havana take place at a time when several American artists, businessmen and politicians have traveled to Cuba, after both governments held various official contacts last year.
