On 18 October, the Sultasto guitar quartet celebrated its 10th anniversary in the concert hall of the El Cucalambé Professional Arts School. Its director, the vice-president of the music branch of the UNEAC in Las Tunas, Maestra Elvira Skourtis, confessed that she had chosen this venue because of the importance and role that this educational center and its director, Nurys Cantallops, have played for her quartet.
When they arrived at the school, Skourtis said they were going to perform a didactic concert where all the works in the repertoire would be arranged in chronological order. In addition, it would be dedicated to Cuban Culture Day and 50 years of Artistic Education.
The quartet began with one of the greats of world music: Johann Sebastian Bach. It was followed by works by Cervantes and Saumell, included in their album Mujer que sueña Guitarras (Woman Dreaming Guitars), nominated for the Cubadisco 2023 prize. Beginning with the father of Cuban musical nationality, Sultasto performed their arrangements of works by other great national composers, representative of its repertoire. Among them, the section of arrangements of songs from the Nueva Trova movement, such as Vicente Feliú's Créeme, was outstanding.
Something I did not overlook was that when Elvira Skourtis introduced "her girls" (as she calls the other three members of the quartet) she called them Maestras: Annia Rodríguez, Yuritza Hechavarría, and Leidys Ramos Bicet. That detail had a leiv motif within Sultasto's anniversary concert. Afterwards, the teachers presented their pupils. In addition to their work as concert guitarists, all of them are teachers at the El Cucalambé Professional Arts School.
It was a great pride to see the fruit of their work in front of teachers, friends, members of the UNEAC, and the school's management. Their students played as soloists, in duos and trios. It was undoubtedly a very emotional moment.
But emotions are in abundance when Sultasto takes the stage. Toward the end, came works by a necessary composer in a guitar concert: Leo Brouwer. The sweetness of Maestra Elvira Skourtis's explanation to the students of the elements in this work fell short of the magic of the interpretation of Paisaje cubano con lluvia (Cuban landscape in the rain). It was magic for the senses. You could hear it.., see it.., and even smell the rain drop by drop in each note.
For the closing, they left two special moments. The first was the premiere of Canción mañanera (Morning Song) by the renowned composer Beatriz Corona. This is a guajira, originally written for four guitars, which reflects in its music the most beautiful elements of the Cuban nationality in its entire splendor.
The second and last special moment was the performance of Hasta Alicia baila (Even Alicia Dances), arranged by Leo Brouwer. This piece is a very Cuban guaguancó that invited us to dance. During the Guitarras en Santiago event, the Cathedral of Santiago de Cuba rose from its feet to applaud Sultasto. The audience present in the hall of the Art School stood up again to applaud the Maestras.
The guitar quartet Sultasto has good taste, elegance, and excellence; it is already a part of the chamber music history in Cuba. This is the only guitar quartet in the country. During these 10 years, they have performed in almost all the provinces. They have participated in important national events such as the Havana and Las Tunas Book Fairs, Entre Música, and the A tempo con Caturla Chamber Music Festival.
With the Cubadisco 2023 nomination, where they were among the three best instrumental music albums of the year, they made history in the province, being the only artistic unit to receive such recognition in this category.
However, the biggest prize is that of the public. In the words of its director: "There is no better reward than being listened to. There is nothing that compares to being able to share music."
Professor Mireya, (Music History advisor in the eastern region) said at the end of the 10th anniversary concert, referring to Maestra Elvira Skourtis: "The history of music in Cuba has her name written on it." And the fact is that, by naming Elvira, one names Sultasto, one names professionalism, one names beauty, and, above all, love for the guitar. Because, as she always says: "The guitar is the protagonist."
