Silvio Rodríguez Domínguez (born 29 November 1946) is a Cuban musician, and leader of the

Nueva Trova Nueva Trova (, "new trova") is a movement in Cuban music that emerged around 1967–1968 after the Cuban Revolution of 1959, and the consequent political and social changes. Nueva Trova has its roots in the traditional trova, but differs from it ...

movement. He is widely considered as Cuba's best folk singer and arguably one of Latin America's greatest singer-songwriters. Known for his intellectual, highly eloquent and symbolic lyrics, his songs are iconic elements of Latin American left-leaning popular culture. Many of his songs have become classics in

Latin American music The music of Latin America refers to music originating from Latin America, namely the Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese-speaking regions of the Americas south of the United States. Latin American music highly incorpor ...

, such as "Ojalá", "Playa Girón", "Unicornio", "Sueño con Serpientes", "Vamos a andar," and "La maza". Among his other well-known songs are political anthems like " Fusil contra fusil" and "Canción del Elegido", and poetic melodies like "A donde van" and "Noche sin fin y mar". He has released over 20 albums. Rodríguez, musically and politically, is a symbol of the Latin American left. His lyrics are notably introspective, while his songs combine

romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...

eroticism Eroticism () is a quality that causes sexual feelings, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality, and romantic love. That quality may be found in any form of artwork, including painting, scul ...

existentialism Existentialism is a family of philosophical views and inquiry that explore the human individual's struggle to lead an authentic life despite the apparent absurdity or incomprehensibility of existence. In examining meaning, purpose, and valu ...

, revolutionary politics and

idealism Idealism in philosophy, also known as philosophical realism or metaphysical idealism, is the set of metaphysics, metaphysical perspectives asserting that, most fundamentally, reality is equivalent to mind, Spirit (vital essence), spirit, or ...

. As a humanist, his songs often bespeak a secular worldview, where humanity must make the best of this world.

Biography

Childhood

Rodríguez was born on 29 November 1946 in San Antonio de los Baños, a fertile valley in Havana Province known for its tobacco crop. He was raised in a family of poor farmers. His father, Víctor Dagoberto Rodríguez Ortega, was a farmer and amateur poet who supported socialist causes. His mother, Argelia Domínguez León, was a housewife. During her adolescence, she was a part of a singing duo with sister Orquídea Domínguez, with whom she participated in many radio broadcasts and cultural events. The first of his mother's songs that Rodríguez recalls hearing is "El colibrí," a Cuban folk song that he would later sing during many of his tours. On many occasions, Rodríguez has spoken how his love of music was developed by his mother, who would pass time singing boleros and songs from

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...

. Later, she also collaborated with him on a few musical works. One of his uncles, Ramiro Domínguez, was a professional musician and a member of the group Jazz Band Mambí. This musical environment, which began with grandmother María León and her husband Felíx Domínguez, lovers of the

trova ''Trova'' is a style of Music of Cuba, Cuban popular music originating in the 19th century. Trova was created by itinerant musicians known as ''trovadores'' who travelled around Cuba's Oriente Province, Oriente province, especially Santiago de Cu ...

musical style, inspired Rodríguez to take an interest in music during his childhood.León Ojeda, Nestor José (2005). ''Silvio Rodríguez: Análisis literario y musical de sus obras más populares. Semblanza biográfica'' (1ª edición). España: Abecedario. pp. 27-28. . Rodríguez was just two years old when he began singing for his father's friends. A few years later, he participated in the music competition ''Buscando una estrella'' ("Looking for a Star"), hosted by the now-defunct Cuban radio station CMQ. He was invited a few days later to participate in a musical competition for children held by the same station, this time directed by the well-known announcer Germán Pinelli. This time, he won first place for singing the bolero ''Viajera'' ("Traveler"). When he was five years old, Silvio and his family moved to

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Benny Moré and the Orquesta Aragón.León, op. cit., p. 29. In 1953, at the age of seven years old and the beginning of the

Cuban Revolution The Cuban Revolution () was the military and political movement that overthrew the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, who had ruled Cuba from 1952 to 1959. The revolution began after the 1952 Cuban coup d'état, in which Batista overthrew ...

, his father enrolled him in the La Milagrosa Conservatory. There, he passed the introductory class and the first piano course, given by Margarita Pérez Picó, within six months. However, in spite of Pérez's enthusiasm, Silvio lost interest and dropped out of the course after a short time. At nine years old and motivated by his father, who read him poems by José Martí and Rubén Darío, among others, he took an interest in literature, paying attention to the work of both poets, as well as the genre of science fiction.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Antoine Marie Jean-Baptiste Roger, vicomte de Saint-Exupéry (29 June 1900 – 31 July 1944), known simply as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (, , ), was a French writer, poet, journalist and aviator. Born in Lyon to an French nobility, aristocratic ...

's '' The Little Prince'' remained one of his favorite books in adulthood. At the age of ten years old, Rodríguez's parents divorced, and he temporarily returned to his hometown with his mother and sister. The two years that followed this event would be immortalized later in various songs published between 1969 and 1984, such as "El Papalote" or "Me veo claramente". However, his parents reconciled in 1958 and decided to move back to the capital, specifically to 530 San Miguel Street, in the city center.León, op. cit., pp. 32-33.

Adolescence

On January 1, 1959, when Rodríguez was thirteen years old, Fidel Castro's Éjercito Rebelde brought an end to the dictatorship of

Fulgencio Batista Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar (born Rubén Zaldívar; January 16, 1901 – August 6, 1973) was a Cuban military officer and politician who played a dominant role in Cuban politics from his initial rise to power as part of the 1933 Revolt of t ...

. This event shaped the musical life of the singer-songwriter and coincided with his transition from childhood into adolescence. Like many Cubans of his generations, he became involved with the new revolutionary enthusiasm. Despite regularly traveling between his hometown and the capital, he enlisted in the San Antonio de los Baños chapter of the Association of Socialist Youth, created by

Che Guevara Ernesto "Che" Guevara (14th May 1928 – 9 October 1967) was an Argentines, Argentine Communist revolution, Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, Guerrilla warfare, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and Military theory, military theorist. A majo ...

. In parallel to his participation in this organization, Rodríguez enrolled in night school at the Carlos J. Finnay school to study for the bachillerato, a post-secondary degree. There, he became friends with Vicente Feliú, another future member of the

movement. The following year, amid social tension due to Cuba's nationalization of businesses and the United States' embargo, his parents separated once again, this time indefinitely. Argelia, who at this time worked at home as a hairdresser, married a man named Rolando and moved to 456 Gervasio Street, near Dagoberto. Silvio took an interest in classical music during this time. In January 1961, the United States broke diplomatic relations with Cuba following the election of president John F. Kennedy, who authorized the

Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...

(CIA) to invade the country. On April 15, bombings began in Havana, Santiago de Cuba, and San Antonio de los Baños, to which the family had recently returned despite the protests of Silvio, who had recently joined his school's militia. The return to his hometown was an opportunity for Silvio to assume new responsibilities, passing from adolescence to young adulthood.León, op. cit., p. 34.

Young adulthood

One of the first social goals of the Cuban Revolution was to drastically reduce the rate of illiteracy in the country. In one year, it was able to reduce the rate from 23.6% to 3.9%. Though still a minor, he participated as a member of the Conrado Benítez Literacy Brigades in the Escambray Mountains. There, he helped give the campesinos classes in history, geography, grammar, and mathematics, as well as explaining elements of the new government, such as the

Agrarian Reform Land reform (also known as agrarian reform) involves the changing of laws, regulations, or customs regarding land ownership, land use, and land transfers. The reforms may be initiated by governments, by interested groups, or by revolution. Lan ...

plan. In 1961, during one of the campaigns, Rodríguez ingested a toxic plant, suffering second-degree burns that forced him to return to Havana. Once again in the capital, he met the caricaturists Virgilio Martínez and José Luis Posada, who worked for ''Mella,'' a communist magazine. He began to collaborate with the magazine in early 1962. He met the writers Víctor Casaus and Luis Rogelio Nogueras, who would later write a book, ''Silvio: que levante la mano la guitarra','' later adapted into a film of the same name. Rodríguez began to read the works of

Federico García Lorca Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca (5 June 1898 – 19 August 1936) was a Spanish poet, playwright, and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblematic member of the Generation of '27, a g ...

, Pablo Neruda, Guillén,

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...

, and Walt Whitman. In the magazine, Rodríguez became well known for his work as illustrator for the series ''El hueco.'' One of his colleagues, Lázaro Fundora, played the guitar as a hobby and taught Rodríguez the first chords of the instrument that would become a key part of his future work. In 1963, with the birth of his second sister, Anabell López, the daughter of his mother and Rolando, Rodríguez began his studies in painting at the School of San Alejandro, in Havana. He also returned to the piano classes he had abandoned in his childhood, this time under the guidance of Elvira Fabre Obregón.León, op. cit., pp. 37-39. At 17 years old in 1964, he was required to participate in compulsory military service. He joined the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias (FAR), where he would meet Esteban Baños, a member of his unit who gave him further instruction in playing the guitar. It was in the Managua military encampment that Rodríguez composed his first songs, which he played for the other soldiers. His first songs, written in 1964 and 1965, were the boleros ¨Saudade" and "La cascada," both about love; later, he wrote "Atavismo", "Nuestra ciudad", "Es sed", "Te vas", and "La otra presencia". His interest in protest songs came shortly after this period. At the same time, he worked as an illustrator for the Art and Science section of the magazine ''Venceremos'', which was published by the political section of the Army. In 1965, he transferred to the magazine ''Verde Olive'', where he remained until the end of his military service, working during the day and teaching himself the guitar at night. In 1967, just before completing his military service, Rodríguez won an honorary mention in the literary competition of the FAR for his book of poems ''Honradado Cuaderno No. 1''. At the end of this period, Rodríguez began his prolific music career.

Music career

Television career

Rodríguez made his musical debut in front of the general public on June 13, 1967 in the television program ''Música y estrellas'', invited to perform by musical director Mario Romeu. On that occasion, Rodríguez performed "Es sed", "Sueño del colgado y la tierra", and "Quédate", the latter of which appeared later on his album ''Expedición'', released in 2002.Zurrón del aprendiz. «Canciones inéditas». Archivado desde el original el 22 de diciembre de 2011. Consultado el 15 de febrero de 2012. Between November 1967 and mid-1968, he was the host of the television program ''Mientras tanto'', named after one of his songs. The program had artists, writers, cinematographers, and new and established artists as guest stars. Among those featured were

Bola de Nieve Bola de Nieve (literally ''Snowball''; 11 September 1911 – 2 October 1971), born Ignacio Jacinto Villa Fernández, was a Cuban singer-pianist and songwriter. His name originates from his round, black face. Villa Fernández was born in Guanaba ...

, Omara Portuondo, and Elena Burke, among other influential Cuban artists. Each episode ended with Rodríguez's song "Y nada más", which appeared in his 1978 album ''Mujeres.'' After the death of Che Guevara in 1967, he wrote the protest songs "¿Por qué?", and "La leyenda del águila". Other songs written during this period include 'Ay de mí', 'Debajo del cañón', 'Déjame regresar', 'En busca del tiempo perdido', 'En ti', 'Graciela', 'Grita más', 'Hay un grupo que dice', 'Los funerales del insecto', 'María', 'Muerto', 'Oye', 'Quién va a pensar en algo más', 'Si se va la esperanza', 'Tema de la adolescencia', 'Tengo que estar en ti', 'Treinta años', 'Tu beso', and 'Y anoche'. Some of these were dedicated to a woman named Emilia, who he viewed as his first important love. Rodríguez affirms that he has always felt a sense of panic in front of the lights and cameras. However, despite his notoriety for being a nervous television host, his program received a positive reception from the Cuban public.

Nueva Trova

It wasn't until 1967, with his first television experience, that he started to become well-known and influential among Cuban, revolutionary youth. With pro-revolution, yet very independent, lyrics (together with his very informal dress code), Rodríguez soon attracted the animosity of some members of the new Culture Ministry, which was devoted to the eradication of the United States' influence in Cuban culture. In this context, a very important role was played by the cultural institution Casa de las Américas and its then director Haydée Santamaría, the former a respected revolutionary who participated in the Moncada barracks assault of 1953 and sister of Abel Santamaría, who was tortured and killed after the failure of the assault. Haydée Santamaría became a protective mother-figure of the young composers and of several of his colleagues at the time. Casa de las Américas became the home not only for the new Cuban ''trovadores'' but also for many other Latin Americans on the left. It was in this institution that Rodríguez met Pablo Milanés, and Noel Nicola, who along with Rodríguez would become the most famous

singers and composers. In 1969, for almost five months, he worked as part of the crew on the fishing boat Playa Girón, and during this fertile episode he wrote 62 songs, among which are the famous "Ojalá" and "Playa Girón." The lyrics and music of these songs became a book named ''Canciones del Mar''. In 1976, he decided to join Cuban troops in Angola, playing for the soldiers. After more than 40 years of artistic work, Rodríguez has now written a vast number of songs and poems (said to be between 500 and more than one thousand), many of which have never been set to music and probably never will be. Although his musical knowledge has been continuously increasing (counting among his teachers the famous Cuban composer

Leo Brouwer Juan Leovigildo Brouwer Mezquida (born March 1, 1939) is a Cubans, Cuban composer, conducting, conductor, and classical guitarist. He is a Member of Honour of the International Music Council. Early years Brouwer was born in Havana, Cuba. When he ...

), he is more widely praised for the poetry in his songs than for the accompanying music. His lyrics are a staple of leftist culture throughout the whole Spanish-speaking world, and he has been banned from the media during several of the dictatorial regimes that ruled Latin America in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His debut album was ''Días y flores'', launched in 1975. ''Al final de este viaje'' and ''Cuando digo futuro'' feature songs he composed before ''Días y flores''. He reached international popularity in the early 1980s with ''Rabo de nube'' and, in particular, ''Unicornio''. In the early part of his career his work displayed a fair amount of revolutionary optimism. ''Mujeres'', released in 1979, is in contrast a romantic and highly intimist album. In the middle of his career, Silvio Rodríguez experimented with sounds and rhythms departing from his trademark acoustic guitar, accompanied by the group Afrocuba (e.g. in ''Causas y azares''). At maturity, Silvio Rodríguez thoroughly purified his sound through a return to acoustic guitar, great care and sophistication in the voice, and exclusive control of the production process from beginning to end. His lyrics became more introspective, at times even self-absorbed or self-justifying, expressing melancholic longings about the shortcomings of real-life socialism in Cuba while vindicating idealism and revolutionary hope amongst the youth. The trilogy, called ''Silvio'', ''Rodríguez'', and ''Domínguez'' (his first name, his father's last name, his mother's last name) displays sound artistic talent. The doubts, absent in the early part of his career, also correspond to the fall of Soviet communism and the so-called Special Period in Cuba. An unnoticed recurrent theme in the lyrics of the early part of his career is that of death, particularly although not only as associated with guerrilla warfare. In contrast to the explicitness of his early songs and political positions, there was a displacement of emphasis in his later years toward fantasy and dreams. Both, however, are about an alternative that is not present but is called for, or what Laclau would call a longing for a "missing fullness". This is true politically, romantically, and existentially. In a similar way, the unusual confessional tone of many of his songs allows for an unorthodox combination of transgression, eroticism, longing, and at times (probably accurate) self-deprecation in many of his lyrics. The entire work of Silvio Rodríguez offers an intimate and introspective window into the life cycle of the artist. If the lyrics of the early part of his career are about revolutionary enthusiasm, love encounters and disappointments, as well as sensual desire, and if the middle-aged Silvio is more self-questioning, often looking backward; his most recent albums, such as ''Cita con ángeles'', talk in part about his life as a grandfather and has a certain focus on children, while ''Érase que se era'' is the release (with all the means that come with being an established artist) of songs written early in his youth but never previously recorded. ''Mariposas'' also featured two classics composed in his youth. Silvio Rodríguez stands out in the Spanish-speaking world for the intimacy and subtlety of his lyrics, as well as for his acoustic melodies and "chord picking." He is particularly popular amongst intellectual circles of the left in Latin America and Spain. He has also often served as Cuban cultural emissary in events of solidarity, whether in Chile (''Silvio Rodríguez in Chile'', 1990) or Argentina (En vivo en Argentina, recorded in 1984), both massive concerts given shortly after the fall of the right-wing dictatorships. Cuban flags are always conspicuous in the crowd during his concerts. Chilean audiences had become familiar with Silvio Rodríguez through the circulation of clandestine pirate cassettes in the 1980s. In 2007, he received a doctorate ''honoris causa'' from Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in Peru. (

Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

). Rodríguez has been a major influence on many folk artists, including the Swedish artist José González.

U.S. appearance

Silvio Rodríguez has been denied a United States visa several times, and it was particularly controversial in 2009 when he was invited to celebrate the 90th birthday of

Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and social activist. He was a fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s and had a string of hit records in the early 1950s as a member of The Weav ...

. However, in 2010, he obtained a visa and performed at venues in

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

(30 May), New York (4 and 10 June), Oakland, (12 June), Los Angeles (17 June), Washington, D.C. (19 June) and Orlando (23 June). These were his first appearances in the United States in 30 years.

Discography

Studio albums

* 1975 – '' Días y Flores'' * 1978 – '' Al Final de Este Viaje'' * 1979 – ''Mujeres'' * 1979 – ''Rabo de Nube'' * 1982 – Unicornio * 1984 – ''Tríptico: Volumes I, II & III'' * 1992 – ''Silvio'' * 1994 – '' Rodríguez'' * 1996 – ''Domínguez'' * 1998 – ''Descartes'' * 1999 – ''Mariposas'' * 2002 – ''Expedición'' * 2003 – ''Cita con Ángeles'' * 2006 – ''Érase Que Se Era'' * 2010 – ''Segunda Cita'' * 2015 – ''Amoríos'' * 2020 - ''Para la espera'' * 2024 - '' Quería saber''

Collaborative albums

* 1986 – ''Causas y Azares'' (with Afrocuba) * 1987 – '' Árboles'' (with Roy Brown) * 1988 – ''Oh, Melancolía '' (with Afrocuba) * 2021 - ''Silvio Rodríguez Con Diákara'' (with Diákara)

Live albums

* 1977: ''Cuando Digo Futuro'' * 1984: ''En Vivo en Argentina'' (with Pablo Milanés) * 1990: ''Silvio Rodríguez en Chile'' * 1990: ''España y Argentina en vivo'' * 1993: '' Mano a Mano'' (with

Luis Eduardo Aute Luis Eduardo Aute Gutiérrez (13 September 1943 – 4 April 2020) was a Spanish people, Spanish musician, singer, composer, and film director. Aute died in April 2020 from Covid-19. Biography First years in the Philippines Luis Eduardo Aute ...

)

EP

* 1968 – ''Canción Protesta'' * 1969 – ''Pluma en Ristre''

References

External links

Official Silvio Rodriguez's website
Songs, pictures, writings (in Spanish)
Official Silvio Rodriguez's blog
– More than 5800 followers (in Spanish)
Official Silvio Rodriguez's Suenacubano Profile
* Documentary fil
Silvio Rodriguez: My First Calling
(25 mins, USA/Cuba, 2020)
Analysis of Silvio Rodriguez Songs
Meaning of lyrics (in Spanish)

– Songs of Silvio Rodriguez dedicated to Che Guevara * – performed live by Silvio Rodriguez
TRANS
Analysis of the harmonies of Silvio's songs, socio-cultural backgroun
PDF

Silvio's page in Patria Grande

Cuban Singer Complains that U.S. Didn’t Give Him Visa
by the ''Latin American Herald Tribune''
Cuba's Silvio Rodriguez Dedicates Song to 'Che'
''AP'', 23 July 2009

5 June 2010
Silvio Rodriguez Concert in USA
Photo Feature by Bill Hackwell, ''Havana Times'', 17 June 2010 {{DEFAULTSORT:Rodriguez, Silvio 1946 births Living people People from San Antonio de los Baños Cuban people of Spanish descent Cuban communists Cuban male singer-songwriters Cuban singer-songwriters Cuban guitarists Cuban male guitarists Latin music songwriters Nueva trova