The Musical Recordings and Editions Company (Egrem), in coordination with the National Theater of Cuba, announced the ninth edition of the César Portillo de la Luz Interpretation Contest 2022, scheduled for May 3 at 2 pm in the Avellaneda Hall with Free entry.
The lyrical singer, artistic director and founder of the event, Hugo Oslé, reported that this year the contest will be dedicated to the centenary of the famous Cuban musician and composer, and that 16 young singers from almost the entire country will participate, performing a repertoire of Cuban works.
Portillo de la Luz was born in Havana on October 31, 1922. During the 1940s, together with figures of the stature of José Antonio Méndez, Ñico Rojas, Rosendo Ruiz (son), Aida Diestro and Elena Burke, he promoted a genre that , with new expressive elements and in the context of the Cuban troubadour song and the crooners Americans, was baptized as feeling.
His authorial work has enriched the heritage of Cuban songwriting with songs like “With you in the distance” and “Tú, mi delirio”, of universal significance. Other compositions of his such as “Cuban Night”, “Sabrosón”, “Realidad y Fantasia” and “Canción de un festival” have also achieved wide international circulation.
His songs have been performed by figures from world music, including Nat King Cole, Lucho Gatica, Pedro Vargas, Fernando Fernández, Luis Mariano, Luis Miguel, Plácido Domingo, Caetano Veloso, María Bethania, Osdalgia Lesmes, Christina Aguilera and the Orchestra London Symphony.
César Portillo de la Luz died in Havana on May 4, 2013.
