Por La Chocolate(2017)
“I want to make memories with all of you! That’s why I want to do this recording!”
Unable to convey my feelings in my broken Spanish, I burst into tears.
Cuban men are naturally protective and incredibly kind to the vulnerable—to women, to the elderly. Seeing me cry, they rallied around me with fierce support.
Seventeen Cuban musicians, plus one Spaniard. Easygoing and a bit (maybe a lot) irresponsible—that’s Cuban men for you. Two of them didn’t even show up on the day of the recording. But hey, it was only two. After returning to Japan, I even flew back to Cuba once more. To this day, it feels like an absolute miracle that we pulled off such a complex session.
Life in Cuba was brutal. But from the bottom of my heart, thank you for those deeply, deeply precious, and beautiful memories.
Musicians
Luis Armando Alarcon Rodriguez
Luis Alberto Gonzalez Perez
Jesenia Olea
Rolando Salgado Palacio El Niño Mentira
Econodio Padilla Pérez
Orestes Oliva Ríos
Juan Martín
Juan “Cotó” de la Cruz Antomarchi Padilla
Carlos Rafael Urgellés López
Nicolás Sirgado Llanes
Uoalerio Sánchez
Abilio Duquesne
Alberto “Kiyoshi” Centellez
Aristonico “Choko” López
