Last Friday the 13th we were able to see how through art it is possible to shatter "the curse" that accompanies this date. We refer to the performance of pianist Rolando Luna and his guests, at the Ignacio Cervantes concert hall, to present his most recent recording production, with Egrem, Mi alma en canciones (My Soul in Songs).
A concert is much more than just playing songs, which is why Luna summoned "the spells" required for an unobjectionable level of magic to prevail throughout the show. Perhaps the first thing we should point out is his ability to captivate us and his professional rigor as a pianist, determined to transmit the greatest emotionality in a comprehensive proposal.
Each piece played by the hands of the virtuoso instrumentalist contained in itself the energy of a whole symphony, evident both in the version of Guarina, by Sindo Garay, and in the climax reached with the theme Amar, vivir, by Rembert Egües.
On the other hand, when he accompanied the guests, he revealed his hierarchical rank within the contemporary Cuban piano, capable of "razing" in the field where he is asked to intervene. In the trio with bassist Julio César González and Oliver Valdés on drums, we felt Luna as a fish in the ocean of jazz, while together with singer Maikel Dinza, in the classic Convergencia, by Bienvenido Julián Gutiérrez, he revealed his mastery of the complex skills inherent to the accompanying pianist. He showed equal mastery when sharing the stage with the voices of the Trio Palabras, in Adriana, by Manuel Corona.
We simply witnessed the exposition of a key concept to understand the nature of the well-deserved praise for Rolando Luna, deeply Cuban, rooted in his roots, capable of appropriating the universe of all music without losing the distinctive seal of the Creole breath. Not by chance, moments before leaving, I had the certainty that, if the distinguished pianist of the Cervantes hall could speak, he would confess the immense pleasure of having had as a guest of occasion a master of his stature.
Translated by ESTI
