Huberal Herrera: "I have tried to get closer to the truth of music"

Our "tropical lord" arrives with amazing punctuality. This gentleman comes from another era, he is "revealed" by the good taste of his suit, his fine manners and that slow and extremely careful cadence in what he says. He is a master at his thing, the piano. He knows it, that's why he is kind to those who greet him around us. Anyone who knows him knows that Huberal Herrera is a sublime artist, but that mattered little to those who had to decide in favor of his recordings. I avoid being overwhelmed by anger: “he is already 93 years old and I don't think that in the end this is a priority for someone”, I think. Even so, as someone who wants to rectify, the most important fair of the recording industry in Cuba (Cubadisco) awarded him the Honor Award in 2019. Tempus fugit.

However, something is preparing. “The National Center for Concert Music wants to release a record with my performances. It's almost finished, let's see when it comes out”, he tells me. 

The story of Huberal Herrera began to be woven in Mayarí, Holguín, although he remained in that town for a short time.

“When I was three years and a few months old, they moved me to Güines (current province of Mayabeque). My parents married in 1926. He was a Doctor of Law and Philosophy. My uncle, Silvano Herrera, was a famous doctor. Two of my aunts were doctors in Pedagogy and another two in Pharmacy. As you can see, I grew up in a study environment. From elementary school I won prizes and medals and in high school exactly the same, to such an extent that both my brother and I were eminent high school graduates. Later he decided on Medicine and I on Law, which I liked, but music came first. 

“And it is that I began to study piano when I was five years old. My parents used to say that next to the house where I was born —where today is the Municipal Museum of Mayarí— The piano teacher Blanca Tamayo lived and that I spent a lot of time listening to her. Logically, they realized that it called my attention”. 

Starting in 1944, Huberal Herrera began his piano studies with Professor Arcadio Menocal and, 10 years later, he offered his debut concert with works by Manuel Saumell, Ignacio Cervantes, Carlos Borbolla, Nilo Rodríguez, Carlos Fariñas, among others.

“I put that date as the starting point in my professional life, but that doesn't mean that I haven't played before. I have a program at home where I appear at the age of nine in a recital at the Sociedad Bella Unión de Güines and on the radio station CMRT and I played in different activities”, says the pianist with whom it is impossible to talk, without putting his admiration on the table. by another great piano player on the Island: Ernesto Lecuona. 

“His music was always at home, I listened to it since I was little. My parents were fanatics, like most of our people. My mother, when she came to Havana, passed by the house of music in Monte 408 and she appeared to me in Güines with something new.

“Furthermore, I was a close friend of the married couple made up of Ricardo de La Torre y Madrazo, professor of Geology at the University, and Clara Borges, pianist and organist. She was the cousin of the tenor Rolando [we think Rodolfo] Borges, who performed at the Lecuona concerts. It was he who told him about me. I was 20 years old and Lecuona showed interest in meeting me. The interview was adjusted on his farm; That's when I met him personally and we built a pretty deep friendship.

Teacher, personally, how was Lecuona? They say that a sullen man, with a complicated character, is it true?

“A delicious man. Over time, I have thought that it had two faces: it was one with friends, artists, intimates and another with unknown people. He gave himself much respect. Everyone wanted to be his friend. Being by his side was a delight. The farm was always full, and in this regard I want to make a clarification, because there are always those who speak ill of certain things. On the Lecuona estate there were never any parties, nor was alcohol drunk, only wine on Christmas, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Yes, lots of coffee and tea. The Master did not stop smoking and that led to his death. But it was an exquisite treatment: it was a flag to say: ʽI am a friend of Master Lecuona'.

“Every time he learned a piece from me, he was the first to listen to it. I always had his guidance in the interpretation of his work. In 1961, when he left this country and was surprised by death in Spain, I continued my friendship with Elisa Lecuona and other artists close to him such as Sarita Jústiz, Esther Borja, Hortensia Coalla”.

When Lecuona left Cuba, there was a silence regarding his work, and certain aspects of his life were even misrepresented. What do you think? 

“Lecuona was a well-liked and well-known figure in this country. There were enemy musicians who wanted to cross him out, they wanted his music not to work... big mistake: Lecuona was never a politician! But they wanted to take advantage of that and silence him. We were three people who did not follow that path: Esther Borja, Zenaida Manfugás and myself.

“I was asked not to play Lecuona's music and, of course, I opposed it. La Manfugás adopted the same position. Many artists of that time said that my concerts were full because I was “lecuonero”, like that, in a derogatory tone. And how did you answer that? Of course, not controversially. I did several recitals, mainly in the Fine Arts room, the most important at the time, with music by Chopin —without playing Lecuona!— and it was filled to the point that they placed radios outside the theater so that the public could listen to the recital . Later I did others with works by Manuel de Falla, Franz Liszt…”. 

In the middle of 1959 Huberal Herrera returned to Cuba after serving for two years with a series of presentations in countries of Europe, Asia and Africa. Once on the island, he joined the Enrique González Mántici orchestra, who put him in contact with the Alicia Alonso Ballet. With the prestigious company he traveled through South America and the countries of the former Soviet Union.

Have you ever been offered a permanent stay in one of those countries?

“Yes, but not with much insistence. There was no fertile ground for that. I went out many times and always came back; this is my homeland, my grandfather and grandmother were veterans of the war. I never had an interest in that. Many people have told me: ʽif you had stayed you would even be rich', but the greatest wealth is that of the spirit and I have that”.

What has really happened between you and the Cuban recording industry?

“The issue is a bit complicated. In 1957 when I was in Spain I recorded for the first time for the firm La voz de plata. Here there was always one difficulty after another and no recording was ever made for me. And for the year 1958 I became a member of the General Society of Authors and Publishers (Sgae); the first three Cuban members were Ernesto Lecuona, Walfrido Guevara and Huberal Herrera. Then it happened that, to celebrate Lecuona's centenary, the Sgae wanted to make an important recording of his music and they came expressly here to look for me. 

“Something very nice happened: Luis Carbonell had contacted Pablo Milanés (who was starting with his PM Records) and wanted to also make a recording with Lecuona's music. He had tried it with the Siboney Studies in Santiago de Cuba but that was frustrated due to bureaucratic reasons. So when Emilio Rubio, a representative of the Sgae Foundation, came to see me, I told him I couldn't because I had my word committed to Pablo. Then they left, disappointed. I immediately called Pablito, told him what had happened and he told me: ʽYou have taken four steps back. Locate those people. You don't have to feel committed to me.' 

“I left the message at the hotel and the Spaniards contacted me back. This is how I participated in the first almost complete recording of Lecuona, which was made in just 10 days, in the church of Cuenca, near Madrid. That was my first big recording. Later I have done others, with independent labels”.

Huberal, as one who summarizes what he experienced, says that he does not feel satisfied, but he is grateful for the respect and affection.

"I don't know if I deserve that much. We are not all geniuses. My teacher Arcadio Menocal used to say: ʽrespect music a lot, try to listen to all the pianists, not so that you copy but so that you form your own criteria.' And I have tried to get closer to the truth of music”.

As I deeply believe in the advice of old men, because their wisdom is one of the advantages of living so long, at the end of our conversation, I ask: 

Maestro, what would you recommend to a respected young pianist?

"Be true to what you're playing!"