LIMA, Peru – Amado de Jesús Dedeu Hernández, Cuban director, percussionist and vocalist, died last Sunday in Havana at the age of 80, reported the Music Marketing Company and other official media on the Island.
As reviewed the state-run Cuban News Agency (ACN), Dedeu became an essential reference within the musical heritage of rumba and Cuban culture.
Born in Havana on November 8, 1945, his career includes performances with the group Los Roncos, along with Carlos Embale, as well as with the National Folkloric Choir, until in 1982 he founded the prestigious group Clave y Guaguancó, with which he made a difference on the scene and became a reference for many cultists of the genre.
Dedeu’s imprint also stands out in the artistic teaching of folklore of African origin, as well as a discography that accounts for a varied work. Among his recordings, the CD “La Rumba soy yo” stands out, which in 2001 won a Latin Grammy.
The artist’s life was marked by professional dedication that cultivated affection “among the most popular and community strata, where rumba is expressed and lived in a daily and spontaneous way.” This legacy, the note adds, will remain in the hearts of those who had the honor of knowing him.
“Rumba is and will be you; rest in peace, Amado Dedeu,” concludes the note from the Ignacio Piñeiro Music and Entertainment Marketing Company, also subscribed by the Cuban Institute of Music and the Ministry of Culture.
The text, in addition to expressing condolences to family and friends, reports that the body of Amado de Jesús Dedeu Hernández was laid to rest at the Zanja Funeral Home, in the municipality of Centro Habana, and his funeral took place on the afternoon of February 15.
