Pablo Milanes

• Genre: Cantautor

About

Pablo Milanes is one of Cuba's most important singer-songwriters -- an iconic figure whose songs defined the 1960s and beyond. Born in Bayamo, Cuba in 1943, Milanes started out singing gospel and soul (with Cuarteto del Rey) before he went solo and joined a movement known as "feeling." He later sang with Los Bucaneros, before his biggest achievement: creating the "nueva trova" movement in Cuba with fellow singer-songwriter Silvio Rodriguez. Modeled on Argentina's "nuevo cancion" movement, Milanes and Rodriguez mixed romantic and political lyricism which was sometimes in service of the Cuban revolution -- rather than in protest of fascism, like their Argentinean cousins. Milanes is still active; in 2002 he release an album of duets with everyone from Mana to Gal Costa, introduced by author Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

- Sarah Bardeen