MIAMI, United States. – This Monday, the Cuban musician José Luis Cortés, popularly known as El Tosco, died in Havana at the age of 70, according to reports official media of the island.
So far, no official source has specified the cause of death of the musician, director of the NG La Banda orchestra since its foundation in 1988.
Throughout his career, El Tosco worked as a flutist, arranger, composer and music producer. Likewise, he displayed an extensive and prolific career within the Cuban artistic scene, the island’s media reported this Monday.
In 2017, the musician born in the El Condado neighborhood of Santa Clara received the National Music Award.
According to specialists, José Luis Cortés is one of the creators of the new school of flutists of Cuban popular music and precursor of timba.
El Tosco graduated from the National School of Art (ENA) in the specialty of flute. Before creating his own group, NG La Banda, he went through Los Van Van, under the orders of Juan Formell, and through the all star that was Irakere, founded and directed by the teacher Chucho Valdés.
He is the author of hits such as “Santa word”, “The expressive”, “Lelolei”, “The squeezer”, “The witch”, “Echale limon”, “La hookah”.
In accordance with Cubadebatepossessed an “exceptional virtuosity as an instrumentalist” that was “reaffirmed in not a few of the most demanding jazz festivals in the world”.
El Tosco was close to the island’s regime. In October 2021, for his birthday, he received congratulations from Cuban ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel, who defined him as “a musician and teacher of musicians, whose excellence confirms how much education can do and art for human development”.
In 2019, the musician was at the center of debates on social networks for an alleged case of abuse and violence against the Cuban singer Dianelys Alfonso Cartaya, known as “The Goddess”.
The denunciation of La Diosa received the support of hundreds of people and it was considered that could anticipate the Cuban MeToo. In fact, it led to the creation of the platform against sexist violence Yo SíTeCreo in Cuba.
Receive information from CubaNet on your cell phone through WhatsApp. Send us a message with the word “CUBA” on the phone +1 (786) 316-2072, You can also subscribe to our electronic newsletter by giving click here.
