José Luis Cortés.Photo: Jack Vartoogian/Getty
José Luis “El Tosco” Cortés, controversial famed Cuban bandleader, flutist, and pioneer of the timba genre, has died. He was 70.
The musician, who founded the musical group NG La Banda and performed with bands Irakere and Los Van Van, died on April 18 in Havana after “a hemorrhagic encephalic accident,” according tothe Instituto Cubano de la Música’s Facebook page.
“Born in the neighborhood of El Condado, in the city of Santa Clara, he graduated from the flute specialty at the National School of Art and stood out, from a very young age, for his virtuosity as an instrumentalist and orchestrator and for his leadership capacity among the union colleagues,” read the organization’s note, translated from Spanish, posted the day of Cortés' death.
Prior to founding NG La Banda, Cortés performed in the Cuban songo band Los Van Van and composed music for the 1979 collectionLos Van Van v. V (Areíto LD-378). The flutist was also involved in the Granny-winning Afro-Cuban jazz supergroup Irakere and wrote one of their most popular songs, 1985’s “Rucu rucu a Santa Clara.”
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In a 1988 interview withThe Miami Herald, Cortés, known as “El Tosco” aka “Rude Boy” for his sexual lyrics and confident, unhinged stage presence, spoke about public reaction to the timba genre.
“The intellectuals say that timba is crap,” he told the outlet. “But this is a racist concept. Cuban popular music has always been the music of the people, of the poor barrios, where there are very few whites. This is the music that comes from below, that makes people want to dance. But just because people dance to it doesn’t mean it’s not as serious as any other serious music.”
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Throughout his career, Cortés received several honors including “the National Music Award in 2017,” per the Instituto Cubano de la Música, as well as “the Raúl Gómez García Medal, the Distinction for National Culture, the Replica of the Máximo Gómez Machete and the Key to the City of Santa Clara.”
“I look at everything happening online and I’m really stunned,” she told the outlet at the time in response to messages she received, which accused her of lying. “I can’t really understand what’s happening online. I’m just trying to keep getting professional psychological help to deal with everything that’s come at me for having told the truth.”
The Instituto Cubano de la Música’s tribute revealed Cortés' family chose to veil the musician’s body in “an intimate ceremony” before an immediate burial. According toThe New York Times, no information is currently known about the icon’s survivors.
source: people.com
