EARLY 1990S · THE SPECIAL PERIOD
Tosco y Murakami
A bond born in the Special Period — Ryu Murakami and José Luis Cortés.
It began with a single line I found online, in an article published four years before José Luis Cortés (TOSCO) passed away (Tosco y Cortés | OnCuba News).
"He has thirteen flutes, but during a tour he lost his favorite one. 'Murakami told me I had to have the best flute in the world, and he bought me one made entirely of silver.'"
I wanted to know more about the two of them.
Early 1990s. It was the "Special Period" in Cuba — a time of great hardship following the collapse of the Soviet Union. In the midst of this era, two men met: Ryu Murakami and José Luis Cortés "Tosco."Together, they created countless recordings and unforgettable concerts.
I feel their meeting was destiny, like two souls pulling together exactly what they needed. Their bond was incredibly strong. Interestingly, a scene from Ryu Murakami's debut novel, Almost Transparent Blue, feels like a "foreshadowing" of their meeting — as if their friendship was written in the stars long before it happened.
I believe the friendship and collaboration between these two became a vital piece of Cuban music history in the 1990s. I hope you can feel the deep bond that existed between them.
FLUTE
"Just you go play the flute, I'll sell some smack and buy you a good flute with the money." — Almost Transparent Blue (1976)
"The Man" who called "TOSCO"
The flutist, bandleader, composer — the "New World Beat" that exists nowhere else but inside this one man.
TOSCO ⊂ MURAKAMI = "KYOKO"
Tosco, KYOKO, and Ryu Murakami — stories all connected. Tosco lives inside Murakami; Murakami lives inside Tosco's music.
The New World Beat: A Guide to Pleasurable Cuban Music
"He is my dear friend; the two of us call each other brothers. José Luis is a bandleader, songwriter, composer, arranger, and flutist (as well as a singer, dancer, and baritone saxophonist). He is world-class in every one of these roles, but as a flutist he is, without question, a genius — the best in the world, beyond anyone's reach.
Countless times, while spending time with him, I've thought, 'So this is what true talent looks like.' Because he pays no mind at all to pleasing others, in Cuba he is misunderstood as a cocky upstart — but at his core he is incredibly kind.
When the album You Don't Know What Love Is was recorded in Havana with the voice of Xiomara Laugart, he served as music director and did perfect work. I mean 'perfect' in the truest sense of the word. Drilled in the classics, he tosses off jazz as if it were nothing — almost as though sneering at jazz itself — a true child of music.
Today, the fusion of the African and the European — that is, the 'New World Beat,' the new music that will come after the classical — exists nowhere but inside José Luis Cortés. Whenever I tell him this, he always laughs, embarrassed, but he clearly carries a certain pride within him.
I love his favorite saying:'Don't mess with me — I'm amazing.'
About Tosco
Born on October 5, 1951, in Santa Clara, Cuba, and passed away on April 18, 2022, at the age of 70. He was affectionately known as "Tosco."His nickname, which means "rough" or "gruff," reflected his blunt and straightforward personality. As the leader of NG La Banda, he perfected the musical style known as "Timba."Today, José Luis Cortés is revered by the Cuban people as a legendary musician.
Two of NG La Banda's masterpieces — Cabaret Panorámico | Échale Limón(1993) and La Bruja — were produced by Ryu Murakami. The track "Murakami Mambo" is featured on the Cabaret Panorámico album.
