Singer Pablo Milanés was in fragile health. He suffered, among other illnesses, from a kidney problem and received a kidney transplant in 2014. Founder of Nova Trova, he embraced Fidel Castro's revolution in its beginnings and over time distanced himself, but never broke the bond that united him with its people through music.
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The artist's last show, awarded two Latin Grammys for best album (2006) and musical excellence (2015), in Havana, was in the middle of this year. On the occasion, their compatriots sang their songs in a reunion that, for many, was also a farewell after almost three years without singing in the country.
Pablo was born on February 24, 1943 in the city of Bayamo, the son of soldier Ángel Milanés and Conchita Arias, a seamstress.
Conchita forced the family to move to Havana so her son could attend conservatories. In the 1950s, considered the golden decade of Cuban music, the boy learned piano and explored new tones and texts with other creators.
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Milanés has been married five times. His second wife, Yolanda Benet, was the eponymous muse of one of his most famous songs. He dedicated “Cuando tú no estás” to Spanish singer Nancy Pérez, with whom he had lived in Spain since 2004, at his last show in Havana.
(With AFP)
