For one night only the godfather of the Cuban Nueva Trova movement, Silvio Rodríguez, will be performing in the UK for the first time in over 15 years in a special concert in aid of the Music Fund for Cuba charity at the Barbican, London, on Friday 22nd September.

Silvio Rodríguez will perform with his own band. The unique supporting set by friends of the Music Fund for Cuba will also feature the legendary guitarist John Williams, one of Silvio’s favourite musical performers, with a special opening set from members of Madness and Ska Cubano. The Music Fund for Cuba is a UK charity that works with the National Centre of Art and Music schools in Cuba to distribute materials to children and young people for music and performing arts education. It was established in memory of Kirsty MacColl in January 2001.

Now almost 60, Silvio has been performing his own tender songs of love, loss, regret, political commitment, doubt and determination with his guitar since his public debut in 1967. He is known for his eloquent, symbolic and questioning lyrics and many of his songs have become anthems across Latin America as well as in Cuba. He has said, “I have always written according to my taste and my conscience”. Inspired by the new revolutionary Cuba, despite early national TV success, the “Man of a thousand songs” sought new audiences in factories, fields and schools. Through the 70s, as part of the Experimental Sound Group in Cuba, headed by Leo Brouwer, he sought musical and cultural dialogue with other young composers and performers of progressive popular music across Latin America, such as Victor Jara from Chile.

Since then Silvio has composed for films as well as made 15 albums, many solo and some with the group AfroCuba. He has continued to evolve as an independent and uncompromising artist, reflecting the uncertainties in Cuba during the ’90s in his lyrics. In April this year, Silvio was presented by the Academy of Music Arts and Sciences in Spain with the Latin Lifetime Achievement Award for his work: “a symbol of social and political commitment and an example of poetic writing.” A serious superstar in Cuba and throughout the Spanish-speaking world, he recently said in interview: “I’ve been lucky to find songs that were missing from the landscape.”

Charity Director, Rob Miller, said: “We are honoured to welcome Silvio to London — his poetic songs speak to millions of people of all ages across the world as well as to Cubans; it is great news for the Latin American community in the UK and for any fan of Cuban music.”

Friday 22nd September 2006, 7.30pm,
Barbican Centre, London
Box Office Tel: 020 7638 8891 (9am-8pm daily)
Tickets from £15.
www.barbican.org.uk