Sílvia Pérez Cruz: "Cuba is part of my emotional map".

One day, when Sílvia Pérez Cruz was four years old, her father, Castor Pérez, showed her The afternoonwith music by a certain Sindo Garay. That would be the first song that the girl from Girona performed in public in a tavern. Some time later, the mythical Cuban bolero would be an indissoluble part of the repertoire of this artist; a repertoire also integrated by Cuban music. Something that Sílvia undoubtedly owes to that strong family bond that also tied her to a small Caribbean island, to which she returns as part of her Latam Tour, after her last concert here, six years ago. 

"My father's relationship with Cuba was very deep and he transmitted it to everyone around him. He was one of the greatest scholars of the habanera, imagine how full he felt here. He had an archive of songs in the Casal Catalàn in Havana where he spent hours, happily, searching, mining and ordering songs. He was very humble, a lover of small details, a great observer of the sea. I listened from a very young age to María Teresa Vera, Bola de Nieve, Sindo Garay, Marta Valdés, José Antonio Méndez...; I listened to habaneras, trova, Cuban filin. And well, Silvio Rodríguez also connects me directly with the memory of my father. 

"When my father and I were meeting, heHe played the guitar, and I sang; he played second voice and cried. He taught me a thousand habaneras since I was born: Twenty yearsfor example, was an indispensable song since I was 12 years old. 

"In 2010 I came to sing with him. Then I came back, to present the album En la imaginación with the great double bass player Javier Colina, and we made beautiful concerts. We were able to thank Marta Valdés for her songs and inspiration. Later I returned alone. And in this coming and going one is making a family. I have great musician friends here, Cubans and Catalans. Cuba is part of my emotional map". 

How decisive was the album in your career? En la imaginaciónwith Javier Colina? In the distance, how do you value the process of creation of that work and its result?

It was a gift, with musicians I admire, guided by the heart and wisdom of maestro Colina who also knows and loves your human and cultural richness. We recorded the album in one morning, two months after my father's death. I have a very special affection for this album, which is almost 12 years old. I love his repertoire, it inspires me, it is comfortable and familiar to me. Of an exquisite harmonic and melodic beauty, and lyrics to memorize and use in life, which claim the lack of love with dignity. Some of the composers that I revisit in this album I already knew through my father, as I explained before, others were discoveries that Colina shared with me from his "suitcase of songs".

for the disk Amor Edición Deluxeby Haydée Milanés, you recorded together with her the song You seeWould you like to share some details of this collaboration?

It was very exciting to know that she wanted me to be part of her album and to be able to sing this beautiful song with her. How fortunate that distance doesn't prevent us from recording music with an ocean in between, but what a pity we couldn't sing it together. I hope we meet again sometime.

Sílvia Pérez Cruz. Photo: Alex Rademakers.

After several years of career, in a relatively short time you have experienced a vertiginous ascent, reaching larger audiences. What do you think is the reason for this "surge" in popularity? Did it change something in you? Did it change something in the audiences?

My feeling is different. I have always felt a constant growth since I started, although it is true that there are times when more people suddenly approach me, and that is usually related to awards or the press or other media that reach the audience more. The most beautiful thing for me is to feel that those who come stay and trust in my way; beyond the style or form, there is a confidence in my way of sharing emotion made song. I am very grateful. 

Film and theater are scenarios where you also move at ease. You have composed soundtracks for several films and plays; you have even ventured into acting and won a Goya Award for Best Original Song. What especially attracts you to audiovisuals and drama? 

I am first and foremost a musician but I am also a great lover of art, of artistic expression, to heal, to share, to not forget... I have always loved to learn from all artists, to see how each artistic discipline tells the same emotion. It is true that I have made two films as an actress -always coinciding in that I did the soundtrack and both roles complemented each other-, it is also true that I was nominated for a Goya for Best New Actress (incredible) but the one I won was for Best Original Song...

Speaking of recognitions, a jury awarded you the Premio Nacional de las Músicas Actuales 2022, highlighting your "unwavering commitment to beauty". Is it precisely that, beauty, what motivates you when it comes to embrace, from composition and interpretation, a song? In any case, what does Sílvia Pérez Cruz sing to? 

It is incredible to have received this award. And the phrase dedicated to me seems to me of a beauty that moves me every time I read it. I love to vindicate the beauty of the vulnerable, imperfect, human. For me music, poetry... is a shelter, a salvation and I want to take care of it because it takes care of me.

Sílvia does not sing her sorrow or yours, her joy or yours, she sings to sorrow, joy, love, heartbreak, life, death. But without possession, from a universal feeling.

Sílvia Pérez Cruz. Photo: Alex Rademakers.

You have announced that next March will be the release of your next album, which you have been recording for some time. What can you tell us about this new production? 

I am very happy. They are original songs that I started composing on March 21, 2020 and the last one I finished last month. I have been recording for a year and finished last November 3rd in Mexico. I am very proud of this album.

November 11, the day you will give your concert in Havana as part of this Latam Tour, is also the title of your first album. What is the importance of that date for you? 

My father died on November 10, 2010 and I was born on November 11, 1955. The composition of this album was my mourning, my way of cleansing, healing and transcending the pain of loss. A kind of alchemy and rebirth. I finished the creation of the album in 2012. That is to say, this year marks the 10th anniversary of the album's release. November 11th and I will celebrate it by singing on November 11 in the city that my father fell in love with, on his 67th birthday.

Do you know anything about current Cuban music and its main sounds and trends? Is there any phenomenon or artist that particularly catches your attention? 

CI am friends with many singer-songwriters in Santa Clara. That is my most direct and real connection. For years there have been bridges built with Roly Berrío and Yaíma Orozco and all the family of La Trovuntivitis. Precious people and imaginary people. Beautiful and noble music. Also with Alfred Artigas, a soul friend, family, who has been living here for a few years. He is a guitarist, and has produced Yaíma's most recent album. I have also played with admired and beloved Cuban musicians. 

We are constantly inspired by your music, thank you so much, colleagues!