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G.E. 20 Elias Barreiro 1966-1967
The Maestro from Cuba who has been teaching at Tulane University in New Orleans since the '60s, and is currently Head of the Guitar Department. His separation of voices, appropriate use of vibrato and dynamics offer all one could wish for from a concert guitarist. With repertoire that spans from J.S. Bach, Fernando Sor, Francisco Tarrega & Enrique Granados, to that of Ernesto Lecuona, Manuel Ponce, Heitor Villa-Lobos and Leo Brouwer.
In 1959 Fidel Castro came to power, and Elias's family business was
confiscated. He then acquired a job at the new Ministry of Education. His new job was to play guitar at political rallies. The Communist Party held public events in small towns, where after 20 minutes of propaganda, Elias would perform. Party officials would ask the audience "Have you ever heard anything like this before?" "Could you even have afforded to see this before?" "Now, the Revolution has brought you this." In 1966 Elias along with his wife and two children boarded a "freedom flight" to the United States.
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