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César Portillo, with his music in the present
31October
Events500 Aniversario

César Portillo, with his music in the present

Of relevant authors and endowed with an immense poetry, he knows very well all of Cuba and the world. One of those touched by lyricism, the extreme care of what is written and an original harmony was César Portillo de la Luz, who 96 years ago was born on October 31st in the city with almost 500 years of history, Havana.

It was during the second decade of the forties, when Portillo de la Luz, along with José Antonio Méndez, Ñico Rojas, Rosendo Ruiz (son), Aida Diestro and Elena Burke, among others, began to give the public that genre full of exaltation named feeling.

Hundreds of Portillo’s songs are known. Stands out, perhaps because of its wide international level versions, the hit With you in the distance sung over and over again by interpreters who look for elegance in each of their repertoires. But other songs show us a man who studied deeply the word and Cuban music. Let's think Song to the song or Love is that, in this last composition Portillo declares, with true philosophical foundation: Meditate and think / that to be happy / it is necessary to know how to start at each end.

For the work of a lifetime, the Academy of Arts and Sciences of Music of Spain awarded the singer with the Latin Prize in 2004, date in which he also received in Cuba the National Music Prize. Important stages of Europe and America witnessed the artistic value of Portillo de la Luz, who also had the merit of having songs in multiple film productions.

Portillo, from the root, sang to Cuba and showed that inspiration as well as being a natural gift, also requires study and devotion. César Portillo will continue in the glory of the most glorious of Latin American music. Guitar in hand this man walked between the success of his songs and the love of a people who remember him in an original way, as unforgettable composers are evoked: singing their melodies.

My song is a shout of joy
in my chest there is no more happiness.
Everything sings by kissing you and seeing you smile
I am so happy with your love.