Pianist, composer, arranger and director, he is the Cuban
"Sonero" by excellence. Owning a very personal, unmistakable,
harmonic and melodic style, he won the title of "EL Caballero del
Son" ("The Son Gentleman") due to his anthological innovations
and contributions for this traditional and contemporary genre, which earned
him the honor of being, nowadays, the most versioned Cuban sonero in the
Latin musical scene over the last 30 years.
This ''Son Gentleman" permeated the Son with
contemporary streams, managing to reinsert this genre from Cuba into the Salsa`s atmosphere
and sonority. This musical genre has achieve worldwide dominance along
the last years.
He founded in 1978 "Son 14" Orchestra becoming a landmark within
those bands existing in Cuba showing a different musical concept, because, using
the Son`s roots, it was refueled through lyrics, orchestral arrangements and contemporary
harmonies. Later on, around 1984, he created "Adalberto Alvarez
y su Son"Orchestra. This band is the one that, besides keeping the
genre`s primacy, assumes the challenge of creating new harmonic and
rhythmic changes to faithfully satisfy the dancer. The incredible cadence
reached in stage, was also recognized by overseas dancers.
Creations by Adalberto appear in the repertoire and discography of such
luminaries as Papo Lucca, Oscar D' León, Roberto Roena, Willy Rosario,
Andy Montañés, Ismael Quintana, Juan Luis Guerra and the
440 and Eddie Palmieri among other excellent salseros who have admitted
his talent as composer.
The above mentioned elements are just few evidences of Adalberto Alvarez`s great value
as composer, however, his live performances also channel interesting experiences
with the audience, such is the case of a concert held on April,
2002 at the Paris` Congress Palace where "El Caballero del Son"
invited the veteran Compay Segundo and more than 4000 persons attended this
performance to be part of the huge success achieved by the Adalberto's
Son.
It is just in 2003, when Master Adalberto Alvarez celebrated his 55 birthday,
30 anniversary of artistic career and 25 anniversary of the recording
that launched him to the fame as an internationally-renown composer: A Bayamo
en Coche song. Amidst these celebrations and honored with the 2003 Cubadisco Special Prize, Adalberto featured his Para
Bailar Casino CD, via Bis Music Label at Salón Rosado
de La Tropical aimed at rescuing the couple dancing.
Para Bailar Casino was also the motivational work for a summer TV program
having the live contribution of some orchestras and Ruedas
de Casino. This TV project was an Adalberto-Victor Torres's idea,
the latter is one of the most prominent director of Cuban
TV musical programs.
Simultaneously, El Caballero del Son headed in the
same year the Organizing Committee from the First Meeting of Ruedas de Casino
held at Matanzas' XIV Festival Square and in Varadero, from August 8 to
11 having the participation of dancers from all continents.
The Cuban Institute of Music, Havanatur and CIMEX Corporation sponsored
this event, which promoted this choreographic-dancing style born spontaneously
at the end of the 40s in Cuba, among the dancers in the former Casino
Deportivo. Today, this style is well-known all worldwide.
Adalberto jumpstarted a tour on 2004 and played 15 dates in scenes from Italy, Germany, Holland, Austria, France
and Swiss.
The Caballero del Son and his musicians had the
opportunity of show their talent before a demanding public, fond of Cuban
music, they followed them to every concert, dancing and singing their
songs coming from his last set ''Para Bailar Casino'' gaining great acceptance,
commercially speaking. Adalberto could gauge once more his hot influence
in the European taste for popular music.
After this sucess, Adalberto attended Festivalísimo,
a Canadian event to honor Cuba, inviting not only Cuban musicians but
also plastic artists and a brief sample of the best Cuban movie.
Adalberto performed on March 4 at Club de Soda in Montreal to support
his last set with a round of sales of about 6 000 copies. He prepared
a repertoire conformed by hits and other interesting cuts of this name
group which recently celebrated their XX anniversary.
During the summer of 2004, Adalberto made important concerts at various
European countries, highlighting Italy, Portugal, Greece, France, Hungary,
Spain and Germany, scheduled as part of an international tour. During
these appearances the great sonero had the opportunity of sharing the
scene with such notable artists as Haila María Mompié, Changuito
and the famous Tata Güines.
Five of the diverse concerts offered by Adalberto in Europe had the guest
contributions of the above mentioned luminaries, proving the Cuban artists
high quality when approaching music.
Master Adalberto, still promoting his last set ''Para Bailar Casino'', prepared
a well-packed repertoire for the ocassion and as soon as he returned to
our country, joined an international project, being its Honor President,
the Matamoros Son Festival, held from October 19 to 25 in Santiago
de Cuba with the main goal of keeping Son alive, helping also to honor this genre`s great musicians
and fuel Casino dancing in Cuba and around the entire
world.
in this festival Adalberto Alvarez was acknowledged with the José María Heredia Recognition Plaque which is conferred to Cuban citizens from other countries and institutions which have made outstanding contributions to Cuban culture.
The year 2005 brought for Adalberto Alvarez an international outing around diverse scenes from Italy, Germany, Swiss, Sweden, Norway and Denmark, gaining a huge acceptance in Teramo City, Italy, where about one thousand expectators came to enjoy and dance his songs at Teramo`s Ultraviolet Discotheque, picked by the Cuban-Italian CUBA SHOW Cultural Association, this institution acknowledged his work and conferred him a plaque appreciating his professional and growing-up carreer as son cultivator. This plaque was delivered by Rubén del Pino, First Secretary from Cuban Embassy in Italy, who is in charge of the cultural affairs.
After this tour, Adalberto and his orchestra started another trek in February, this time to Canada, where great concerts were waiting for them, about these appearances, critic stated: ''To have the opportunity of enjoy such luminary as Adalberto Alvarez with his Band in a club is a thundering experience. It`s like seeing the Rolling Stones at the Palais Royale''
Despite the short stances in our country, between tour and tour, Adalberto visited La Tropical to evince once more his title of Son Gentlemen and record Para Bailar Casino program, featuring for the first time international ''ruedas de casino''.
Also this year, in May, Adalberto recorded the Mi Linda Habanera CD, devoted to Havana City, featuring 8 tracks and showing Adalberto Alvarez y su Son`s ability to choose not only the tunes but also the talented stable of guests and arrangers to finally achieve an authentic and usual success.
The above mentioned glory is spiced by the upcoming project Casino Festival to be held on 2006 at Adalberto`s natal province, promising to grow beyond any discreet expectation, regarding to national and international attendance.
Plus some other international dates around Europe during the 2005 summer, they also worked on a DVD, a video clip and appeared at various Mexican scenes.
With a professional career boasting international tours around United
States, Japan, Denmark, France, Holland, Germany, England, Spain, Switzerland,
Belgium, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador, mentioning
only some of them, Adalberto Alvarez is still beating Son for dancers with
his usual strength and passion, creating several hits and achieving, enthusiastically,
more than 20 records becoming already classical pieces from the Cuban musical history.
Winner of several national and international awards, he is revered by
their native public and admired in several countries. Adalberto Alvarez
is still that "Gentleman" who, thanks to his talent, tried hard on
Cuban popular music and succeed,
dancing lovers always appreciate his marvelous labor instantly, as soon as they
listen the initial notes of his compositions.
