Havana, Cuba. - Chamber and all the music that is not commercial have to overcome huge walls today due to the anthill of consumerism and banality that prevails in the international market.
Many young groups of the island have come across this black veil threefold, especially considering the fact that it is a string quartet, Cuban and made up mostly by females.
However, those who attended the last edition of World Music Expo, held in Spain, saw firsthand the musical quality that Cuba treasures, represented by one of its most promising groups: Frasis.
Gran Canaria, venue of the event, welcomed nearly 3 000 delegates from over 90 countries, including young instrumentalist Roxana Iglesias, bandleader and guest artist in the catalog of EGREM (Cuban Company of Musical Recordings and Editions).
The debut of Frasis in the event brought new opportunities for the up-and-coming ensemble and showed that the taste of excellence can surprise us in the most unexpected formats.
‹‹Being there was an incredible opportunity because it allowed us to exchange experiences and see how the international musical scene works››, she commented exclusively to Prensa Latina.
‹‹The atypical characteristics of Cuban market make access to the world great festivals very hard. We lack a little vision to take the chance and invest in novel and talented groups››, she added.
Fortunately, the good always comes afloat and Frasis is proof of that. Despite its youth, it has developed its own strategy to overcome obstacles and enhance its rhythmic and harmonic basis, always with a Cuban hallmark.
The string quartet (two violins, viola and violoncello), with a percussion basis, guitar and bass, managed to astonish producers, managers and musicians, due to its bold and particular way of experimenting with sonorities.
But this comes as no surprise to those who know the work of the group, which has advocated since its genesis in 2010, the idea of playing anthological themes of Cuban music in contemporary versions.
Watching it closely play live, the image lingers and causes a stronger impression, completely detached from the conventional idea that pervades the instinct when thinking about chamber music.
Choreographies and music, interaction between different kinds of guitars, percussion instruments, danzons and songs, make up the "Frasistic" show. They are not afraid to try new grounds in an era where effortlessness and commercialism have become the rule.
Its authenticity attracted prestigious local artists, including Waldo Mendoza, Eliades Ochoa, Hernan Lopez-Nussa, Liuba Maria Hevia, Buena Fe, Ivette Cepeda and Michel Herrera.
Other foreigners were also swept away by the magic of their strings. Thus came the collaborations with Hungarian singer Bela Mavrak, Russian composer Alexander Radygin, Spanish folklorist Julia Leon, and American jazzist Sage Lewis.
They treasure fond memories of their show when the promotion and broadcasting agreement between Cuban label EGREM and US company Sony ATV was signed.
They feel the same about the concerts in Latin American circuits, such as the International Festival of Mayan Culture, in Mexico; and their shows with the project Caribbean Night, in Venezuelan cities.
They have taken their chances on every possible variant of experimentation, style, genre and rhythmic possibilities during their eight years and three albums (Enifrasiando, 2011, Parafrasear, 2013 and Para no parar, 2017).
Visual image is an element to which they attach great importance, not only to stage demeanor, but also in audiovisual productions. Their latest “Para no parar”, directed by Jose Rojas, was nominated to the Lucas 2018 Awards, in the category of fusion music video.
Right now, they are working on a new phonogram and a DVD for their ten years, and the single "Luces" is already a reality. It is registered as part of an album with EGREM record label, in tribute to the 500th anniversary of Havana.
In its bandleader’s words, the group will remain open in the future to the promotion of young composers graduated from the Higher Institute of Art. She also intends to promote unpublished themes and develop her work as a composer.
One of her objectives is obviously to gain access to the world great festivals, in order to make their creations visible and remain that sort of shining light for music.
Written by Yelena Rodriguez
Translated by Pedro A. Fanego
