Latinolife: How are you feeling, we understand you went though a massive surgical procedure recently…(he received a kidney transplant from his wife)
Pablo Milanes: I am feeling fine, after the last operation I am fully recovered!
LL: Well as it's a subject you’ve never shied away form let’s start with politics! At the moment everyone is talking about the changes in the USA-Cuba relationship, what is your opinion on that?
PM: I think that is good news for both countries and for the Cubans here and there in the UK, now we have to see the reaction of the countries, if they deliver on what was agreed, that is what we have to wait for and see. Short , medium and long term we don’t now how the delivery of those promises is going to be.
LL: We are huge fans of yours here at Latinolife, and also fans of Cuban music but these days from the distance it is hard to find the quality that the island is famous for produding, like there is a “poetry” that you created and represent is missing from new music. Comparing now to your time, do you feel the quality has decreased.
PM: That may be true from the international point of view, but I know that here, we keep producing music of the highest quality, to the standard characteristic of our music since the 19th century. It has always been very good, of great quality. The problem I see is that the mass global media may not expose the best quality music, but that’s not just a problem that affects Cuban music, its the sign of the times everywhere in the world.
LL: Very fair point, but because traditionally Cuban music has been a of such quality, when the quality of what we hear from Cuba decreases, it gets noticed a lot more
PM: True, and the Cuban music that is becoming most known internationally is very mediocre low quality stuff.
LL: Tell us more about your forthcoming show.
PM: This tour is to promote the album I just made with Jose Maria Vitier, but also is somehow a homage to music of two artistic periods that I hold dearly, the Renaissance and the Baroque. This period are very much linked with contemporary Cuban music, believe it or not, and a lot is not used these days but I am bringing a show with Conga, Rumba, Changui, Danzon…
LL: For that would you need a big band…
PM: indeed, and for the first time I will be going to Europe with my full band! I think we can do a better job with the full orchestra. I have been touring with what we called “small format” band. I think two or three times we have been to London we played with this small format but now for the first time the audience will be able to enjoy a full on Pablo Milanes experience!
LL: I cannot imagine concept of yours without playing Yolanda nevertheless…tell us a bit ore about that iconic song
PM: Well that song I dedicated to my second wife, the mother of my 3 elder daughters in the year 1970, we had only one of them at the time. It was a song full of love and sincerity. So much that we are still friends despite being separated for a very long time. It is a song that people love to sing, that have united many couples across the Americas!
