CAMAGÜEY.- Art instructor and professional guitarist Arbelio Marín Padrón is the honoree of the 33rd edition of the Provincial Music Festival, rescheduled for May 8th and 9th in this city.
The event was scheduled for April but was postponed due to official mourning for the death of Pope Francis. Its May celebration now coincides with a particularly favorable context: the celebration of Cuban Son Day.
“The Festival is held to encourage amateur talent and the work of instructors,” he explained at a press conference, where the initial selection of 75 works for the competition was also announced, out of the 105 received. This stage is part of the municipal selection process, which takes place between January and March.
Marín Padrón recalled that he began his work as a music instructor in 1983 in the municipality of Minas. He remained there for 20 years, during which time he led three amateur groups, two of which reached the provincial level and one of them the national level.
"It was a very pleasant experience. Another stage, another system, and the achievements were great," he emphasized. Among them, he mentioned his participation in the declaration of the municipality as the holder of a "cultural module," a name that at the time identified a network of basic institutions such as a bookstore, a museum, a library, and a cultural center.
For 22 years, he has worked as a provincial music methodologist at the Center for Cultural Centers. During his career, he highlights the learning and exchange opportunities he had in 2010 when he traveled to Venezuela on a cultural mission.
When asked if there is a genetic predisposition toward music in Cuba and the role of art instructors, he replied: “Yes, it exists. It's in our blood. Music is a specialty that lives on in the territories. There are weaknesses in terms of technical strength, but the music remains.”
Arbelio Marín Padrón remains active as the guitarist for Mariachi Nuevos Aires, the group that will open the event on the 8th at 2:00 p.m. at the El Ovejito restaurant, located in Plaza del Carmen.
Translated by Linet Acuña Quilez