By Grisel Chirino Martínez for Radio Cadena Habana
Music marked Ibrahim Ferrer from the very first day, as it is said that his mother gave birth in a dance hall in Santiago de Cuba, the birthplace of son.
Ibrahim was born in February 1927 and orphaned at the age of 12, which meant he had to find ways to earn a living. Traditional Cuban music proved to be his constant companion, and from a very young age he sang in various orchestras. Among them are the Wilson, Sorpresa, and Maravilla Beltrán groups. Ferrer was a member of or guest-singer for some of the most prestigious groups of the 1940s and 1950s. A key moment in his young career was when he became the lead singer of Chepín’s orchestra, with which he recorded ‘El platanal de Bartolo’, his first hit.
In 1953, he joined Pacho Alonso’s group in Santiago de Cuba and six years later moved to Havana, where the group renamed itself Los Bocucos. From that period date his performances of ‘Nuestra ruta’, ‘Mañana me voy a Sibanicú’, and ‘Aunque te pintes’, along with other songs that became famous in his voice. The most significant experience of his youth was in 1957, when he sang in Benny Moré’s Banda Gigante and recorded two songs with him.
Despite his distinguished musical career, Ibrahim Ferrer withdrew from the stage in the 1980s and retired after a tour in 1991. He returned with Afro Cuban All Stars, and the album of the same name was nominated for a Grammy. He joined the famous Buena Vista Social Club*, which marked the rebirth and apotheosis of his career. Along with other figures of traditional Cuban music, he toured the world and performed iconic pieces from the national repertoire.
Ibrahim possessed a high, sonorous voice, capable of rising to high tones and sinking to the lowest. Although he was one of Cuba’s finest soneros, his performing range included other genres, especially bolero. However, what was most impressive about the veteran musician was his charisma, his natural elegance, and his inspired dedication to each song.
The world’s major capitals gave him standing ovations, but he remained the same unassuming Cuban he always was, the good man with the beret, the cane, and the clean smile. Cubans will always remember him that way.
Since joining the Buena Vista Social Club project, Ibrahim Ferrer became one of the best ambassadors of Cuban music around the world. His concerts spanned the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia, in addition to appearing on the most prestigious stages, such as Carnegie Hall in New York.
Along with the acclaimed Buena Vista Social Club, his multi-award-winning discography during his lifetime included the albums Buenos Hermanos and Buena Vista Social Club presents Ibrahim Ferrer**. These albums garnered him three Grammy Awards, several gold records, and other accolades.
Ibrahim also received numerous accolades in Cuba for his contributions to national culture. A man with a great commitment to the arts, he was even more committed to his Cuban identity. Without fanfare, he donated funds to the country’s cultural institutions for the arts education system, because he believed in and cared about his people. In return, they also posthumously granted him the status of Grand Partner of the Cuban Music Copyright Agency, a distinction recognizing his 78 years of dedication to our music, just a few months after his death on August 6, 2005.
Not a single sign, not a hint, suggested to the spectators who packed Barcelona’s Palau de la Música in July 2005 that they were saying goodbye to Ibrahim Ferrer. The Cuban singer had been touring European venues for over a month promoting his upcoming album, ‘Mi sueño’, when that dream was cut short.
Upon his return to Havana, death overtook the artist, although it did not prevent the CD from being released posthumously. With it, what the performer had always dreamed of materialized: paying tribute to the bolero, the most romantic musical style, because, as he said, “boleros are for eternity. I don’t deny that I move like a fish in water in son and guaracha, but when you sing a bolero to the people, a great bolero, they shudder… A bolero like that, truly, has no comparison.”
Twelve boleros are included in the album Mi sueño (My Dream), recorded at the National Theatre of Cuba and released almost two years after Ibrahim Ferrer’s death [WorldCircuit Records]. The performer was accompanied by a star-studded lineup, including pianist Roberto Fonseca, bassist Cachaíto López, guitarist Manuel Galván, and percussionist Ramsés Rodríguez, while Omara Portuondo accompanied him on one of the tracks.
He made ‘Dos almas’, ‘Si te contara’, ‘Deuda’, ‘Perfidia’, and ‘Quizás, quizás’ his own, with that voice that achieved the difficult and magical connection of roots with emotion. These are titles that will always endure in his style, because, along with sones and guarachas, they made the veteran performer a giant among the greats, because he grew as an artist through authenticity.
Taken from Radio Cadena Habana
*Irahim Ferrer sang on several tracks on the first Buena Vista Social Club album, including ‘Dos Gardenias’ and ‘De Camino a la Vereda’, and participated in duets with Omara Portuondo.
**Despite the success of Ibrahim’s Grammy-winning solo album at the age of 74, itself selling two million copies, the US government denied him entry to collect his award, citing a rule that categorized Ferrer as a “terrorist”.
Watch Ibrahim Ferrer and a band featuring Orlando ‘Cachaito’ Lopez, Roberto Fonseca and Manuel Galban perform ‘Perfidia’ from his third and last album ‘Mi Sueno’.
Listen to Ibrahim Ferrer sing Arsenio Rodriguez song Bruca Manigua
Cuba 50 
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