CubaPLUS Magazine

Mucho is the title of the latest album from Maestro Giraldo Piloto and his group Klimax, which has a lot to say, one can note, because it has brought together a plethora of stars from the world of music to make a product of the highest quality.

For many people, the pandemic may have delayed their projects due to the necessary isolation and the paralysis of activities. However, this has not been the case for Piloto and his group: &We have spent all this time working hard to achieve a product with the highest quality, which can be seen in the production process when I chose guests of honor," the popular musician told CubaPLUS Magazine.

Without wanting to cram the interview with names, it is important to mention those who took part in the new album: Alexander Abreu, Alain Pérez, Falete (Spain), Luis Fernando Borjas (Venezuela exGuaco), Lele (Van Van), Yordys (Maykel Blanco), Laraine Cañizares, Thana Alexa (United States), Brenda Navarrete, Robert &Aálvarez, Germán Velazco, Víctor Campbell, Rolando Luna, Yusef Díaz, Yandy Martínez, Jorge Aragón, Eduardo Ramos, Juan Kemel, Jorge Pérez and Pedro Medina (Spain PATAX), Yaroldy Abreu, Timbalaye, Orquesta del Liceum Mozartiano, Javier Moreno, Henry Ruiz and Papo Márquez, who, together with the arrangements of Yusef and Mauricio Díaz, Jorge Aragón, Juan Kemel, Victor Campbell and Piloto, achieved such a masterpiece.

It was three years of work. &We consolidated preconceived ideas and, with excellent work in recording studios in Cuba, the U.S. and Germany, and magnificent engineers like Waldy Domínguez, Benítez, Aragón, Amaury, Carlitos, Ricardo and Daniel, we completed this ambitious project that in every sense lives up to the record’s name and holds musical surprises for timberos, rumberos, jazzmen and ballad singers," Piloto said.

Our purpose now," he continued, &is to return to Europe’s festival circuits where we’ ve shown our work since the very start of the group in 1995, as well as to other stages that we abandoned in this recent period of apparent inactivity."

Piloto is completely sure of the quality of the work he and his band are doing and is convinced that his followers will be able to find this new material on the world’s main music platforms, such as Spotify, Deezer or iTunes.

That", he added, &gives me great peace of mind, since that is one of the continued challenges of Cuban music in general, which is increased with the support we receive from our companies Abdala and CODEX from Havana and Barcelona, respectively."

As for the Drum Festival, an event he directs and presides, dedicated to the memory of his uncle, the notable percussionist Guillermo Barreto, he says he can attest to the international positioning and development achieved.

The past editions were dedicated to Brazil and Spain but, as we know, the one organized to honor Africa, as the mother of rhythm and essential and historical foundation of our culture, had to be stopped because of the beginning of the pandemic, he recalled.

At the moment", he stressed, &despite the continued fight against COVID-19, we have consolidated plans and various projects to adorn Havana from March 1 to 6 with drums, rumba, jazz, dance music, concerts, international competitions and dance and percussion masterclasses. This is something that the youth and the capital’s population had been waiting for in these last two years and that we did while respecting all the necessary health guidelines."

When answering a question about what it meant to him to lead the Drum Festival, he said: &I place great importance on being the event’s organizer, because the whole team accompanying me every year knows that we are contributing to the care and preservation of our tradition. A culture admired all over the world, despite the small size of our country".