“My first studio album, Búscame tú, was released early this year, on February, and won the Cubadisco award in the pop category. So I am very happy with it. It is an award I thought it was out of my league since I believe it is one of the most prestigious awards presented in Cuba. I recorded this album with passion. I spent three full years preparing it and it was my debut as a composer. I am very pleased. It was certainly my greatest moment of joy this year.”

You have a special guest in your album, an interpreter of the caliber of Beatriz Márquez…

The first song that was released was a featuring with Cuban great artist Beatriz Márquez. I composed that song and is entitled No entendiste nada, and the video clip was directed by maestro Arturo Santana. I am very happy by the positive reaction of people besides the opportunity to share stage with Beatriz Márquez, which is actually a privilege I will treasure forever.

Any other video clip on the horizon?

I am preparing the next video clip that will come out of the album. It will be a song called Si te vas and I will make it with the El Reino de Este Mundo grant from the Hermanos Association. It is a song that Israel Rojas gave me to be included in the album and now I am in the process of producing it.

Lately, you have reached many places with the children's show “La fiesta de Gatoypón” (Gatoypón Party). Are you continuing with that project?

Yes, I am continuing with my children's show La fiesta Gatoypón. With all that world of the cat Mini, we toured the neighborhoods of Havana in the summer, which I am also super happy about because, first of all, working for children makes me feel like a very useful person, a useful artist, and in addition to this, when you go to the neighborhoods, you have the opportunity to get there and be in direct contact with children. It is a wonderful experience.

Recently, you were responsible of the song that accompanied the 5^th International Congress of Youth Researchers, including the musical production. Is this the beginning of a new aspect in Annie Garcés' career?

I am happy with the song El Futuro es Hoy, delighted to have taken the lead of this whole group of wonderful kids who participated in the song and it is my first job in the world of production as well. I was also in charge this year of the song for the campaign for the 45^th anniversary of the Abril Publishing House. It is called Corazones verdes, and we performed it with the Solfa Choir. It will be released next year. Being part of this process, writing the song, doing the general production, was a super interesting experience for me and I really enjoyed it.

They are certainly exhausting processes, but when you see the result you say: well, it's worth it. So I think this could be a new chapter in my career as a musician. The truth is, I think that doing this general production for advertising campaigns is the summary of my 10-year career, because it allows me to show what I have learned as a composer, which goes beyond the inspiration you have. It is quite different writing a love song than doing it on commission about a specific subject, where you have to reflect the image of the person who is writing it to you. Also, I really enjoy executive production as it is much more than coming and recording, it is rather calling the musicians, the production team... I like organizing shows, events, and I have also learned that by organizing my own concerts. So I think it could be a new path for me.

Would you say that this has been a year of professional growth?

It has been a year of tremendous growth for me as a musician, as an artist and as a composer.

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translation Staff