José Luis Cortés, UNEAC National Music Award

By Rafael lam

Holder of several distinctions from musical centers in New York and

the Honoris Causa from the University of Mexico, José Luis Cortés
was recently presented with the National Music Award conferred by
the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC).

This renowned musician and his orchestra, NG La Banda, created

the so-called salsa or timba of the 1990s, a real Cuban musical
gender. He combined the son, guaracha , the danzón-mambo and
the catchy rumba( World Intangible Patrimony). To all this one may
add his incorporation of the typical Caribbean sounds , jazz and all
the novelties of his time, a sort of Funky the Cuban style.

As a musician, José Luis Cortés is one of the top instrumentalists of

the new times; he is considered who paved the way to a new forms
of playing the flute, following Richard Egües, a member of the
Aragón Orchestra. His natural skills for improvisation were object of
praise by U.S critic Charles B. White.

Furthermore, Cortés is also arranger, creator of the new sound,

style, sonority and musical concept established by NG La Banda.
Cortés is the direct creator of all this, obviously , in the company of a
team Cuba, a sort of Dream Team, never before experienced here
on the Island. He is at the lead of everything, reason for which his
original trumpet player Elpidio Chapottin once said: José Luis Cortés
does not even know the kind of musician he is”.

El Tosco, as he is popularly known, is also musical arranger and

orchestra conductor, he is a record producer and promoter of Cuban
culture; he founded a school of singers of popular music and a
female flute ensemble.

Many cultural projects have counted on his presence, and

something most important is the fact that he has the love and
fondness of all his Cuban musicians and public.