Who is Aldo López Gavilán? What are the raves all about?
At a really very early age it was obvious that he was a prodigy, a wunderkind, some called him “the Caribbean Mozart”. That’s because Aldo started composing when he was barely five years old. At six he began performing in public. At twelve he played Mozart’s 13th piano concerto and at seventeen he stunned the world with his performance of Prokofiev’s 3rd with the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba.
As his youthful career blossomed, Aldo garnered many laurels and accolades, including prizes in numerous national and international competitions. Aldo was fortunate to have inspiring, empathetic teachers. He followed up being initially tutored by his mother, with lessons from Hortensia Uppman and Danae Ulacia; in 1999 Aldo entered London’s Trinity College, where he further developed his musical inner self and honed his keyboard magic with Anthony Green and Philip Fowke.
This CD, Soundbites (Bocados Sonoroso), with Aldo exploring the limits of what a concert Hamburg Steinway can do, is pure dynamite. Matters not what your predilections may be – classical, jazz, or anything else – prepare yourself for a listening feast of highest order.
The eleven compositions featured in this CD are a small sampling of Aldo’s musical genius, an exceptional cocktail of classical, jazz and blues – European, Latin American, and African themes and variations in their most sublime and naturally integrated forms. Aldo’s pianistic prowess is muscular and cerebral, flawless and breathtaking. Aldo’s message is simple: Africa, the cradle of humanity, is where all music had its roots. Africa’s (and, therefore, Latin America’s) influence does not have to be blatant or overt to be felt. Arthur C. Clarke, the author of 2001 A Space Odyssey, used to say that any advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Aldo’s advanced skills as composer and pianist are shockingly magical. Overwhelmed by them, we ask, “How does Aldo do it?” Listen and find out!
