Alejandro García Caturla: Cuba’s Musical Prodigy.
Antillean culture found in Alejandro Evelio García Caturla one of its most prodigious artisans, revered for his unique style, skill as a composer, multi-instrumentalist, social chronicler, art critic and lawyer and, mainly, qualified together with Amadeo Roldán, as a pioneer of modern Cuban symphonic music.
Born in the town of Remedios on March 7th, 1906, from an early age he showed his passion and expertise in the sound panorama, receiving private lessons in harmony, counterpoint and fugue, achieving a surprising mastery of the violin technique and finding in the Afro-Cuban ritual festivities of his hometown a transcendental influence for his later works.
In spite of studying Civil Law at the University of Havana in 1923 in order to please his father and to stand out for his academic prowess, he never abandoned his musical studies and, together with his colleagues in law, founded the «Caribe» jazz-band orchestra, joined the Symphonic and Philharmonic Orchestras of Havana, while polishing his vocal technique at the Italian Philharmonic Academy of Singing and increasing his knowledge in the fields of harmony, composition and instrumentation.
Different American and European lands such as the United States, Madrid, Seville and Paris witnessed important works of his authorship such as «Cuban Overture», «Three Cuban Dances», «Guajiras», «Prelude Homage to Changó», «Two Afro-Cuban Poems» and «Bembé», among many others that, endowed with an attractive and innovative sonority, demonstrated his capacity and artistic versatility to impregnate symphonic music with the rhythmic and melodic richness of Afro-Cuban folklore.
Likewise, he established the newspaper «Los Minoristas» and the magazine «Atalaya» and collaborated with the publications «Musicalia» and «Revista de Avance», among other media where he became a cult of journalism with his outstanding skills for social chronicles, art criticism and musical pedagogy, and his commitment to justice and political and social causes made him a respected judge and lawyer.
However, this intransigent conduct in the practice of his profession was the main cause of his untimely and unfortunate death, when on November 12th, 1940, after refusing to exonerate a man he was to prosecute of his crimes, the latter shot him to death, putting an end to his little more than 34 years of age.
With a vast catalog that includes pieces for violin, piano, cello, band, oriental organ, saxophone, chamber ensembles, etc., an unquestionable loyalty to the advocacy and an inherent Cubanness to his being, the ephemeral but fruitful existence of Alejandro García Caturla continues inspiring dissimilar musicians and composers of the world and remains rooted in the heart of our idiosyncrasy and culture.
Written by Yadiel Barbón Salgado.
