In 2006, he left Cuba, but never with the idea of no return. Isaac Delgado, one of the most popular singers of the island, has continued to be the favorite among his countrymen who have very fresh memory of some of his songs like Necesito una amiga (I need a friend), a real success in Cuban popular dance music .
At the turn of time, perhaps longing or craving to be among his people, the Chevere de la Salsa, as he is popularly known decided to return to his land permanently and discreetly he is ¨sneaking¨ in the national music dynamics.
Actually, he told OnCuba, what I’ve done is insert myself slowly working again in Cuba, from where I was away 8 years. “Through EGREM and its Musicuba agency I’m running in different spaces while keeping several international commitments.”
Although previously he came to their land several times on private visits, Isaac Delgado made headlines again when he came to the tables in the Avellaneda National Theater in early 2013 invited by musician Carlos Varela singing at the concert for his 30 years of artistic life. Then a few months later, he was seen along the troubadour Silvio Rodríguez in one of his tours in Havana neighborhoods.
Isaac resided between Florida, United States and Puerto Rico, where he said that never stopped singing, but not with the intensity he did in Cuba. “It was a very rich phase, I learned a lot and met people who contributed to my life as an artist and as a person, but now a new phase that is focused on regaining popularity among my countrymen, especially between generations that never listened to me because I was absent. ”
“I am 250 percent Cuban; it has not been difficult for me to re-insert myself in the musical dynamics of the island because I am in my natural environment. Many warn me about changes in the music, but in a way I’ve always been so I am aware of what is happening culturally in Cuba. Also, here is what I am: my childhood, my family, my idiosyncrasies. ”
“One way or another, my work is linked to everything I am, a Cuban. And musically, specifically, I took my time to soak in what the dancer calls for, but not to change my working system, but to adapt to an audience that has not seen me in these years, but with what I’ve done so now I feel like people like what I do, they get my music with the same sincerity that I give it to them. ”
How Isaac Delgado has evolved over the years?
I think I’ve gained a lot in terms of what I want to keep doing, and also explore other fields such as music production, which gives me a more complete picture of what I propose. I received the help of many friends, musicians, producers, arrangers, and the ability to interact with them has given me a lot. This learning I think I can incorporate to what I do and give it to those who follow me. All this gives me more strength to continue doing, this is a profession that you love and can be very retributive, but you have to devote yourself to it completely. I hope the generation that danced with Isaac Delgado knows my job and accepts it.
The artists, who take their work seriously, they have a very large rooting for their land and that is something that I discovered in my presentations abroad. When I’m out of Cuba I do not anything but represent my country, my people, so I believe that I have never ceased to be in my country. Now I have many plans, I have grown musically, inter alia, by this time I’ve been away.
What are those plans?
Well, I am now presented in different centers of Havana, although I have not yet had the opportunity to offer a massive concert for various reasons, including the amount of commitments abroad. About a month ago I was fortunate to perform at La Tropical and then in a tribute that Juan Formell performed in Paris, an amazing show with Los Van Van in which Pedrito Calvo was also invited.
It was a presentation planned before the death of Formell and in which the attendance of 7000 people expected, but in the end there were more than 15 thousand. The impact of that concert was awesome; luckily it was recorded on a DVD due out next year on the anniversary 45 of the Train of Cuban Music.
Slowly I’m getting there, as we say here, I think things must be accomplished in steps, those who follow me will see me because I want to sing for them.
Now I have an orchestra for my concerts, formed by extraordinary musicians led by Germán Velazco. We have planned a series of presentations and prepared a whole new repertoire that we are recording some songs to go promote our work, and later an audiovisual record it will be ready for the last quarter of the year.
In addition, I am involved in some productions of major groups and artists of the country in which figured as a guest taking the opportunity the so-called featuring offer so important for us musicians because we can explore other ways of doing, while enriching the work involved. Following that line, I participated in preparing the disc in tribute to Elio Reve. Also in the new plan to record that Los Van Van, and other artistic and musical projects that have invited me and I’m sure people will receive with great pleasure, in my case because they want to see what I’m doing after such a long absence.
You were one of the protagonists of the Salsa boom in the 90s, you think right now the popular dance music has lost that privileged position it enjoyed?
I think from the Boom of Salsa popular dance music has lost some prominence. In this various factors have to do, and of course, the evolution of the musical tastes of different audiences. One cannot go against the people like, what they are consuming, what they’re dancing, and we have to follow it closely when it comes to this issue.
There is a specific aspect which I think was a little out of hand and is the decline of the local presentation we had before, of course this is my personal analysis, but that situation has led orchestras focus on points very specific and got away from areas frequented by the less affluent.
In those places that are forgotten in some ways begin to get other types of music that people make it their own. Now compare the style is urban popular dance music, but I think both are popular, and I think will ultimately be the best of it what will remain, as they do about orchestras. The advantage is that the roots of Los Van Van, La Reve and other groups are deeper, what we do comes from son, the nengón, changüí, rumba, and then it has created a deep culture that it is preferred by the public, though time goes by.
I have to acknowledge that we must live with the musical trends of fashion in the country and those coming from other parts of the world, this diversity can also be harnessed to do good things without giving up what is ours, what identifies us. Here we have the case of Qva Libre, proposing a different staging, mixed with elements unrelated to ours, but which are based on Cuban music.
The double meaning, the sayings, chorus, are the basis of much of our work and I think to give to the dancers need to be worked with good lyrics. We have to reach all the places where people want us to listen and dance that is the main way to achieve the necessary visibility.
Isaac Delgado and Algeria Fragoso in the second Meeting of Popular Voices held at the National Theatre in November 2013, in Havana / Photo: Roberto Ruiz.
