Lifelong Masters

Just when we are celebrating the 37th anniversary of the organization, and just a few days before the holding of its 4^th Congress, the Hermanos Saíz Association acknowledges six of its creators with its highest award: The Master of Youth Prize.

The honorees have devoted themselves to train new generations of artists, and hence they have become undisputable leaders of Cuban culture.

Aurora Bosch, prima ballerina, jewel of the Cuban ballet. She excelled in the most renowned stages worldwide. Both the public and the review in Paris, one of the world’s epicenters of ballet, adored the performance of Myrtha, Queen of the Willis from Giselle’s ballet. Her powerful technique was always marked by the expressiveness of her style. And today, she is one of the most respected masters of the Cuban school of ballet.

María Felicia Pérez has multiplied singing in the harmonious voices of her disciples. Choral master, she knows well the mysteries and strength of collective art. Leading the iconic Exaudi Choir, she has championed a varied repertoire, which includes universal and Cuban music classics. She is an outstanding connoisseur, which is portrayed in her wisdom and sensitivity. Several graduates labeled her as the centerpiece of their formation.

On Rubén Darío Salazar and Zenén Calero, we could actually talk in plural since their individual work has converged in a greater work: the wonder of a theater that has opened an entire universe for children and not-so-young people. Rubén Darío, actor and director; Zenén Calero, visual artist and designer, they are both centerpieces in an essential company, Teatro de las Estaciones. Both love poetry, promote beauty, and have given life to wonderful puppets, like wizards in tales. And they share all their knowledge without restriction.  Both, with their art, have understood the spirit of this island.

Waldo Leyva is a poet of essence. He masters the art of speak, which is not only the coordination of euphonious phrases. His metaphors are diaphanous, evoke key passages, very private, which flow in the great river of national sensitivity. Powerful images, and simple at the same time, which has stylized the original impetus of the people. Not few hearts beat at the pace of his verses.

Pedro de la Hoz, writer and journalist, is one of most prominent figures in the Cuban cultural map, an authoritative voice, a man of thought, a sharp, ethical reviewer. He has honored the great tradition of the Cuban cultural journalism with a fruitful career in the media and in spaces where culture is socialized. Pedro de la Hoz is a deep-rooted intellectual, committed to the unfading values of the Cuban nation.

Six new Masters of Youth, six icons of dedication and talent for young artists in Cuba.

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translation Staff