Mentor Raphael Solano will turn 90 this Saturday 10 April, and with his career and music work behind him, he deserves all the recognition that can be devoted to him.
He was a mentor and inspiration to many interpreters of different generations, and the author of allegorical themes, not only from Dominican songwriters, but also Continental, Solano (born in Puerto Plata, in 1931) was the subject of a passionate honor on Thursday morning, from the Ministry of Culture.
For Love, the author of “For Love” said: “I am so excited and above all surprised, but nothing surprises me about Donna Carmen (Heredia), because she always loved me … She never told me, but I know it.” He showed his sense of humor.
The event, which included, of course, a musical part in which many of his important songs were performed, was held in the foyer of the aforementioned Ministry Building, a very important space for Solano’s career, as he was in it. The place where the first Song Festival was held, in 1968, and where his transcendent song, “Port Amour”, took first place, voted by Nene Cafaro.
Heredia remembered these details when he used the word to thank the musician’s family for their ability to flatter him. “To let us celebrate another year of his extraordinary life and artistic career in the Dominican Republic and the rest of the world. Happy Birthday!” Said the minister, who gave Solano a painting and portrait of him drawn by painter Joaquin Sanchez.
The surprise of the activity was the participation of Maridalia Hernández, Niní Cáffaro and Lena Dardelet, who performed “In the dark” and “A Spring for the world”, the first; “Magic” and “Love”, the second; The third “El ten de abril” and “Dominicanita.” The pianists were accompanied by pianist Elewenai Medina, guitarists Hector Payan and Emmanuel Peña Silverio.
The documentary about his life
Another gift from the Dominican Teacher’s 90th birthday is for the crowd. It is the documentary “Solano”, produced by Patricia Solano, daughter of musician and director Juan Basanta, and presented by Urano Films, which was put up on YouTube, so that everyone who is interested in knowing the life and work of this artist can do so through this audiovisual.
Created and presented in 2018, a work done gracefully, and with graceful rhythm, switches between conversations with the musician, interviewed by interviewer Patricia Solano, as well as testimonials from several interpreters, such as Niní Cáffaro, Luchy Vicioso, Fernando Casado, Adalgisa Pantaleón and Marco Antonio Múñiz and Los Solmeños: Nandy Rivas and Horacio Pichardo, instrumentalists like Guillo Carías, Armando Beltré or Tito Delgado, and characters like Pedro Delgado Malagón and Ellis Pérez.
On the other hand, you can enjoy the songs of Victor Victor, Fernando Villaluna and Janio Laura, among others.
A visual journey, beautifully illustrated, through the life of one of the glories of national music, and in which he travels through the spaces in which he developed his art, which captures well the historical moment in which Raphael had to travel. Solano.