finetune artist: Silvio Rodriguez

b. Silvio Rodr¡guez Dominguez, 29 November 1946, San Antonio de los Ba¤os, Cuba. A protean figure in the landscape of Latin American culture, Rodr¡guez inspires and nourishes those listeners in search of songs that are popular and tuneful, but also lyrically ambitious and defiant of genres and conventions. Rodr¡guez's miraculous body of work and relentless desire to experiment compares easily to that of John Lennon, Bob Dylan or Stevie Wonder. In theory, Rodr¡guez belongs to the movement known as "nueva trova", that took Latin America by storm in the 70s. Some of his most political songs, such as the historically flavoured "Playa Gir¢n" and the symbolic "Unicornio", were embraced by leftist revolutionaries as anthems that justified and applauded their fight for democracy. The eerie beauty of Rodr¡guez's music, however, transcends any political ideology and he is at his best when singing lyrics of romantic love. Rodr¡guez's musical revolution started in 1975 with "D¡as Y Flores", a nostalgic, joyful record that made him very popular throughout Latin America. Other masterpieces soon followed, including the more baroque "Rabo De Nube" and "Mujeres", dedicated to all the women in Rodr¡guez's life, from his grandmother to his daughter. After experimenting with salsa combos and symphony orchestras, Rodr¡guez returned to the solo guitar and voice format for a trilogy of albums (complete with a fourth collection of outtakes) in the 90s. Less inspired than his seminal work, these new songs still offer generous amounts of the singer's evocative, tender poetry. Silvio Rodr¡guez continues to sell out stadiums whenever he decides to leave his beloved Havana and go on tour.

Listen to Silvio Rodriguez at Finetune.

(2006) Cuba Classics 1: Silvio Rodriguez Greatest Hits
(1999) Mariposas
(1995) Rabo de Nube
(1992) Mujeres
(1991) Cuba Classics 1: Canciones Urgentes...

Unicornio
Sueno Con Serpientes
Playa Giron
La Maza
Sueno De Una Noche De Verano