Aisar Hernandez refutes a theory some people are trying to legitimize on the negative signs of Cuban popular music, which criticizes modern authors’ aesthetics and rules them out of the classic figures of this genre like Ñico Saquito, Arsenio Rodríguez, Miguelito Cuní, Juan Formell, Adalberto Álvarez…
For this young musician, bass player and musical director of the legendary Reve band, this concept doesn’t recognize a movement of new creators that are continuing this work. “I know very good and very talented young musicians and I’m sure that in the near future I will hear about their work. Musicians like Osmani Collado, with lyrics for Charanga Habanera; and Dhayane Rivera, a member of Adalberto Alvarez y su son. I could also mention others that have promoted their own projects such as Wilfredo “Pachi” Naranjo with La Verdad, Maykel Blanco and Salsa Mayor, Alexander Abreu and Habana de Primera, and Manana Club”, he notes.
Born in 1974 in Esmeralda, a small town in Camaguey province, Aisar inherited his taste for music from his father Alvio Hernandez Harris. He affirms that even though he started at the age of 20, when many artists were finishing their studies, he managed to make the best of his time. Almost at the end of his academic training, he received his first proposal: to join Maravillas de Florida band. For about a year he combined school and his work with the band until he graduated at 25.
He has had very positive experiences from his job with important bands, which has helped him understand that interesting world of popular music. Charanga Latina, Yumurí y sus Hermanos, Dan Den and Revé band, compliment Hernandez Segundo’s appraisal on one of the better known areas of Cuban music.
He appreciates the values of old song writers. He states: “they are Cuban and they have succeeded with their songs because they made use of the Cuban identity. As Cuban I try to do the same. I don’t think I do it for Juan Formell, who I respect, o for Ñico Saquito and Miguel Matamoros, who turned that jargon into poetry with their songs. I live in Cuba and I talk about our people. That’s my poetry.”
“And I would be proud if my songs are anywhere close to what they did, although I don’t aim for that. Now that you ask, I perhaps see some common ground among all these songwriters. I do try to avoid repetition in my songs. People sing to love and today it is really easy to do it, but I’d rather write chronicles of our reality. If I’m in a bus or I see anything spicy, I reflect it. People not only dance, they also want to hear something interesting and I think that if in addition to enjoying the music, people pay attention to it,the message of the songs would be better fixed in them”.
Respecting the codes of this genre and keeping an incessant search of new shades to maintain the high expectations of dancers are essential premises for Aisar Hernández.
“Popular music is diverse but perhaps many people don’t see it that way and therefore are very repetitive. I have had the privilege of working with several of the greatest bands that have made history in Cuba, including Maravillas de Florida, with a style of its own. It is a brass band with a proposal for the young audience that travels the world in representation of Cuba.
“Many bands were reinforced with trombones, trumpets and other instruments to add contemporariness to their music, but they have managed to reach dancers, and that’s worthy of praise.
“The key to success is not to follow the fashion. I like to reflect about Cuban music and I realize that people don’t trust in genres that have long proved to be interesting. If someone succeeded with a conga, a ballad or a timba and a choir, then the rest would do the same. And then their works are mixed and loose their identities.
“There are other bands like Original de Manzanillo and Aragón, which work on a daily basis. They are directed for a specific audience, but that’s the purpose of music. At present, reggaeton is in fashion, and many bands have decided to take it in. However, their audience doesn’t expect to find it in their tracks and perhaps they get upset about it. Musical directors and are in charge of preserving that formula that works for the audience.
“Those who played with me in Maravillas de Florida were very old and they used to tell me that there were many brass bands when this band was created; however, they were all different. Now there are lots of formats, but they all look very much the same.”
In your opinion, what’s the stand of the Reve band?
When I joined this band I told Elito what I considered to be right and wrong, and what I thought we could do about it. In that first talk we spoke a lot about fruitful aspects during the epoch of his father, ElioRevé Matos. We also talked about lyrics –we always wanted intelligent lyrics– rhythms and respect for dancers and we agreed that it was a longstanding band and that its audience found pleasure in listening to a work of their own. Thus, we respected dancers that were searching for a particular genre”.
In how many albums have you participated and have you been able to develop those concepts you talk about?
I began in the band in 2006 and there are five records already where you can find my music. The first one was a compilation entitled 50 Aniversario, and then was Fresquecito and De qué estamos hablando. Now we are immersed in two volumes: homage to ElioReve and La aplanadora de Cuba.
“It is a privilege for me to have had a place in these albums. The first three have been awarded in Cuba and abroad. 50 Aniversario was awarded in Peru as Best album of the year, and in Europe by www.fiestacubana.net. De que estamos hablando was also recognized there and in the US and received the Great Prize Cubadisco and was also honored in the category of Popular Music in that same event.
“La aplanadora de Cuba and the album in homage of Elio Reve are meant for our followers. Because the greatest award for us is to continue in the preference of the audience after showing them the new things we have made so that they can realize we have made a solid work and of course to pay homage to the founder of this band.”
You are a young musical director and that’s a huge responsibility. What can you say about it?
It is always hard, specially at the beginning because many perhaps wondered: can this boy really direct us? And it’s been increasingly hard because productions have the people’s award rather than the jury’s. Thatrepresents a commitment, a responsibility and sets the challenge of making the next album as good as the previous one or even better.
“Reve band is a school that has trained valuable musicians that today are proud of having been part of it. This forces you to work well out of respect for them and yourself.
How should the relation between director and arranger be?
When I began in the band I did some research of their lyrics, and its former members… Elito and I have very good communication. Sometimes we don’t even need to say anything. He says I’m one of the few people that better understands him because when he says something to me I rapidly know what he means and I do it like that. Because he trusts me he allows me to bring proposals for the albums given the results of my work.
“It is a good thing to have good communication between the director and the musical director because there might be things that get out of the lines of the project. That’s why, before asking Elito I make sure that the band needs these musical ideas and then I give him a full explanation.”
Great popular music figures have pointed out that they don’t see serious successors of this genre. Can you comment on that considering that eventually you are also part of it?
Of course there is. Formell has a successor in his son Samuel, as Elio Reve had in Elito, and now Pachito Alonso has two successors in his sons Christian and Rey. The thing is that there was a “boom” of salsa during the 90’s and there were many spaces for that music, including radio and television shows to promote it.
“I feel there has to be some sort of motivation for the ones after us, and I don’t only talk about my generation but also of younger generations; motivation like the one given to rap or trova at some point. Someone may have thought that after Silvio Rodriguez and Pablo Milanes there would be no others, but there are trova singers regardless the motivation. The music direction must pay close attention to the new projects as well as to already establishedbands, and support them in their advertising in the media.”
At present, when foreign rhythms are gaining space, which might be the challenges for the Cuban son?
Humbly I consider that the Cuban son has to be done properly, in accordance with the time we are living in. In the Reve band we do it like that and people like it. I could give you another example: Polo Montañes emerged during the “boom” and he was able to gain some space. Today there are others that cleverly have conquered the audience like Tony Ávila, Leoni Torres…
“It is necessary to have more festival dedicated to son so that creators get together and exchange ideas and musical concepts. This genre is only taken into account in a few categories of the Cubadisco awards, despite all the work of our bands. There should be more. Why not to award the most popular band or youngest songwriters of this genre? Everyone wants to improve the Cuban music, but I honestly believe that musicians are not to be blamed.”
Author
Yelanys Hernández Fusté
