• Submitted by: manso
• Music
• 08 / 06 / 2010

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HAVANA, Cuba.- Domingo Aragu, a living legend of the Cuban culture and considered the father of Cuban percussion, celebrates today his 100th birthday surrounded by illustrious local and international musicians.

Coherent and with a very good mood, Aragu says one of his greatest joys on his birthday was the tribute paid by one of his students from 80 years ago and celebrating his birthday with disciples of the likes of Enrique Pla, Roberto Concepcion, Ruy Lopez Nussa and Lino Neira Betancourt.

He confessed he has followed with great interest and enthusiasm the progress of Afro-Cuban, folkloric and popular percussion.

He proudly said that he was friends with exceptional interpreters like Tata Guines and Guillermo Barreto, whom he took to the academy as professors.

Born in San Juan de los Yeras, the current province of Villa Clara, the legendary musician was awarded the National Prize for Artistic Teaching in 1999, the Felix Varela Order granted by the Cuban Council of State in the same year and the National Music Prize in 2003.

Aragu is the author of a book titled Percussion Instruments, a basic student book used in Cuban music schools and he introduced methods for the teaching of percussion at higher institutes of art and conservatories.

The percussionist confessed that one of his favorite disciples is Lino Neira, whom he considers like a son.

Lino said his professor has being not only a professional but an ethical paradigm to him and noted that international music owes the great diversity and diffusion of percussion today to the Cuban musician.

Together with other colleagues from school, Lino is organizing a big concert to mark Aragu’s 100th birthday by October 20,
the Day of the National Culture.

Source: Radio Rebelde