Danzas Cubanas

Ubaldo Montesino was an old friend of mine from way back in the days of my early career as a band director in Palm Beach County, Florida in the 1970's.  He had a wicked sense of humor and was one of the nicest people anyone could have the privilege of knowing.   After his untimely death, the Palm Beach County Band Directors Association asked me to conduct their high school honor band and write a piece to be premiered in his honor.  They suggested the title "El Loco Cubano" or The Crazy Cuban.  Although Ubaldo would have approved, I just could not use THAT title.  Instead, I decided to use three styles of Cuban music that I loved and went from there.  Most Cuban music is not terribly melodic, but since I am a "melody guy," I made the piece more melodic than most music in that genre.

Ubaldo was a very talented trumpet player, and I was told that his cousin Gloria Estefan had asked him to be in her band, "The Miami Sound Machine."  He decided not to accept Gloria's invitation as he loved being a band director and didn't think her band would amount to anything - WOW was HE wrong about THAT!  So, the trumpet player in the videos is Victor Lopez (slicked backed hair and sunglasses), a fellow composer and friend who at that time was also Band Director at Miami Senior High School and later Principal at that school.  Victor had presented a clinic on Latin American rhythms at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic around 2005, and I had seen that and still had his handout of percussion rhythms.  I called Victor and asked him if using those rhythms as written would work in my piece, and he was certain that they would.  He was right!  On my way home after the premiere of the piece that night, I called Victor, thanked him and told him I owed him dinner!!!