Biography
Politicos may debate whether Communist pop merits formal genre status, yet observers note parallel emotional resonances across the former Berlin Wall when it came to seduction-themed invitations such as "Ven y Abrazame." The picture of Ariel Alfonso composing that number, or his other success "Asi Llega la Cancion" (translated literally as "Here Arrives the Song"), beside a riverbank or beneath a towering tree fits the creative setting aptly.
Alfonso first tried his hand at songwriting while still a teenager in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, known locally as "the River of Pines." Groups based in that city, among them Grupo Yarey with its blend of reeds, keyboards, and percussion, have cut several of his pieces. "De Mí Hacia Tí," whose sentiment echoes the Beatles' "From Me to You," appeared on the CD box set Official Retrospective of Cuban Music.
Portions of the composer's path diverge from the standard tale of a tunesmith crafting romantic chart successes in glamorous fashion. Recognition first arrived via a songwriting competition held in Dresden, then part of the East German DDR. Influential Communist Party figures exercised authority comparable to that of Dick Clark or Alan Freed, although developments on either side of the political divide exerted limited influence on the Cuban music landscape itself, particularly concerning the strong domestic popularity of Alfonso's work.
Alfonso first tried his hand at songwriting while still a teenager in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, known locally as "the River of Pines." Groups based in that city, among them Grupo Yarey with its blend of reeds, keyboards, and percussion, have cut several of his pieces. "De Mí Hacia Tí," whose sentiment echoes the Beatles' "From Me to You," appeared on the CD box set Official Retrospective of Cuban Music.
Portions of the composer's path diverge from the standard tale of a tunesmith crafting romantic chart successes in glamorous fashion. Recognition first arrived via a songwriting competition held in Dresden, then part of the East German DDR. Influential Communist Party figures exercised authority comparable to that of Dick Clark or Alan Freed, although developments on either side of the political divide exerted limited influence on the Cuban music landscape itself, particularly concerning the strong domestic popularity of Alfonso's work.
Singles
