Igbó Alákorin | The Singer’s Grove Vol. III | Theatrical Cut (2025)

For me, tradition has always been a means of connection, a bond that lives on through the culture we share and the people who keep it going. I like to think of this relationship as The Singer’s Grove, a kind of timeless, symbolic ecosystem where we can find strength, inspiration, healing, and a sense of belonging. This realm is ancient and vibrant, yet entirely immaterial. It lives in the hearts and minds of those who carry it forward, existing beyond the reach of the physical world. Books and the written word, despite many attempts and despite their incredible benefits, have never fully captured its essence. In fact, the oral nature of these traditions may be one of the many reasons they have been left vulnerable, open to distortion, appropriation or erasure.

The 2018 double release Igbó Alákorin (a phrase in Yoruba which can be loosely translated as The Singer’s Grove) remains the realization of my long-held dream to document the under-sung musicians of my birthplace, Santiago de Cuba. Three foundational figures in the conception of the Igbó Alákorin series are Alejandro Almenares (the last living trovador); master danzonero Rafael Ábalos; and the late legendary composer Enrique Bonne, who is credited with creating and developing the popular rhythm of pilón. Alejandro, Rafael and Enrique have had a vital presence in Santiago de Cuba’s musical life for decades; they are bridges to our cultural past and a blueprint for newer generations. Though neither of them appear in this volume, their contributions continue to shape the spirit and direction of this ongoing project. I feel profoundly fortunate to have spent time and learned from them.

This recording blends interpretations and original works across two parallel formats: solo acoustic piano and the UDO Super 6 synthesizer, which provides a complementary sonic framework. The album is presented in two versions. The director’s cut features the complete program, interweaving piano and synthesizer. The theatrical cut focuses exclusively on the solo piano pieces (material that is included in both cuts) while omitting the electronic tracks. This second sequence highlights mostly the historical Cuban pieces, particularly from the Oriente region, alongside early danzones by Antonio María Romeu and originals.

The focal point of this volume has been engaging with historical recording methods, especially the wax cylinder, one of the earliest analog media patented by Thomas Edison in 1877. Cuba’s first known sound recordings were captured on the wax cylinder format before it was quickly overtaken by the 78rpm disc. Although most of the archival repertoire that informs this album originates from the 78rpm and LP eras, I was drawn to the unique mystery of the wax cylinder. If it was somehow viable to use this medium to document portions of the music, this could perhaps help in establishing a dialogue with the past through sound. As such, several tracks (or excerpts thereof) were etched direct onto wax cylinders and are playable on a phonograph. Other selections were recorded to 2-inch analog tape, while some were produced entirely using digital technology. The result is a curated blend of recording formats, each chosen to evoke specific time periods and atmospheres. Here, the format becomes part of the narrative, shaping how the music is experienced.

This decision was inspired in part by rare 1906 cylinder recordings of the seminal Pablo Valenzuela Orchestra, as well as 78rpm shellac discs that were recorded by several Cuban musicians in those first three decades of the 20th century. These early artifacts are among the first musical audio documents to emerge from the Americas. In The Encyclopedic Discography of Cuban Music, Cristóbal Díaz Ayala cites Armando Romeu, who recalled that around 1904, Antonio María Romeu, assisted by violinist Juan Quevedo and a 14-year-old Armando on güiro recorded cylinders for the Mosquera company on O’Reilly Street in Havana. As was customary, Armando would announce each danzón on the same recording (the announcements on The Singer’s Grove Vol. III were made by the infamous Santiago Slim*). These were artisanal, one of a kind objects with a capacity of 2 or 4 minutes of recorded sound. According to Don Armando, they produced between 80 and 100 cylinders daily, also supplying a second shop, Casa Santa Cruz, on Calzada del Monte. The danzón selections on this album focus primarily on the music of Antonio María Romeu from the 1910’s and 1920’s, with one notable exception: Lo Mismo Da, a danzón composed by Mariano Mercerón in 1958. This piece, with its unmistakable sabor oriental, reflects Mercerón’s distinctive style.

By interpreting danzón, trova (through the bolero oriental and canción cubana lineage of José Pepe Sánchez and his disciples) and son (including hybrid son forms like the chepinsón, pioneered by Electo Rosell “Chepín” and “Lolo” Ferrera), I seek to illuminate the intricate craft and expressive power of these musical traditions. Rendered through the medium of solo piano, this repertoire offers a fresh perspective on the sophistication of its architecture.

This project would not have been possible without the vision and support of trombonist/ composer Michael Flury. When I shared the concept for this album with him he responded with great enthusiasm, viewing it both as a culmination of his own work with the historical wax cylinder format and an opportunity to engage with my research into Cuban traditions. He organized and produced the cylinder recordings featured here, which are part of a broader collaborative project which features Simone Keller, Vera Kappeler, Jonas Häni, Patrick Hollenstein, and Lukas Langenegger alongside Flury. The full wax session containing all of the artists’s wax cylinder recordings will be released in 2026 on Flury’s label MUK musikundkultur.com

This album stands as both a tribute and an inquiry: a tribute to the richness and enduring vitality of musical traditions, and an inquiry into how sound, format and memory intersect to shape our imagination. By bridging past and present, acoustic and electronic, archival and invented, The Singer’s Grove | Igbó Alákorin Vol. III continues the search for new ways to listen, to honor, and to participate in the continuum of music. I remain indebted to the elders, scholars, collaborators, and communities who have shaped this journey.

David Virelles

Credits:

David Virelles: acoustic piano, UDO Super 6 synthesizer

Los Seres: Los Seres is a fictional percussion ensemble created and programmed by David Virelles. Performed without using samples

*Santiago Slim: wax cylinder announcements. Santiago Slim is a fictional character created by David Virelles

David Virelles is a Steinway artist

Historical format recordings produced by Michael Flury

Produced by David Virelles

© 2025 El Tivoli Productions All rights reserved