July 22, 2009 — Coral Gables — The treasured oral histories of dozens of Cuban musical stars is being captured in video by UM’s Institute for Cuban and Cuban American Studies (ICCAS) in special sessions called Grandes Leyendas Musicales Cubanas or Great Cuban Musical Legends.
These oral histories are being donated to the Cuban Heritage Collection’s Roberto C. Goizueta Pavillion at UM’s Cuban Heritage Collection to form part of the documents housed there that serve as a treasure trove for scholars, students and journalists.
Since 2008, more than a dozen artists have been interviewed at public events at UM’s Casa Bacardi. These have ranged from the legendary Israel Lopez “Cachao”, famous bass player who was the inventor of the “mambo” to Olga Guillot, an internationally known singer admired for her boleros.
Interviews are being carried out by Eloy Cepero, a well known expert and collector of Cuban music.
The project will continue throughout the 2009-2010 academic year.
