Honor

(Grandson) Joseph Pérez-Ribas

I wish to take you back a century to a more simple time where technology was not so advanced. The iPod's, Xbox's, Play Station, and Internet was not an idea yet nor did cell phone service even exist. MP3's and having a Website was yet to be spoken about to even mention about You Tube or iTunes like we have these days. Many have heard of classical music interpreted on piano from many famous musicians from foreign countries like Italy, Germany, Austria, Russia and many other countries. However, some similar musicians do come from Latin countries. For example: Spain and Cuba but those from Cuba are not as famous especially if a great deal of the music composed was not publicized enough to be know by the world. My grandfather Cesar Perez-Sentenat was a well know Maestro in Habana, Cuba during his time.

Cesar Perez-Sentenat was born in 1896 and lived to 1973 and was able to direct his last concert in piano in 1972 before he passed away. He lived to be 77 years old and compose many great classical pieces and write poetry. The poetry he wrote mostly as love songs to his wife Josefa his great love from Cataluña.

Sentenat had traveled to the United States to perform his first and only recording of his last composition which is kept on disk now after I had received the recording from my father after his trip to Cuba back in 1996. I got the tape he brought and was able to have the recording placed on disk. At the time that I got put on CD, there was no idea of MP3's yet. The recording is about 15 minutes long and has the only recorded interview that was done in a grade school in Habana.

You can hear the recording on the media page listed in the menu above.

The first time I heard this recording in my life, I was in awe of the simple and humble voice that I heard of my grandfather. My advantage of this recording is that I understand Spanish since I have been raised in the language and had learned to speak the language further in Mexico City back in 1985 to 1988. Sentenat’s attitude in life was very simple in that he loved his music and teaching children about his world and to become musicians. Of course, many of these kids are presently very old and some have already passed away but I have learned that a few still exist and probably still play piano because of what they have learned from this old and forgotten maestro from Habana, Cuba.

I have been fortunate to retain the whole biography of my grandfather plus, I have been working on a Website to dedicate to his legacy for years to come. Here I am in my 40′s and hoping to soon have his site done in a more professional manner where his history and music including his writing can be appreciated.

When Sentenat had died on May 4, 1973 he did not reach his birth date in November but was able to complete his 50 years composition on March 5, 1972. He made his final public presentation in the Bellas Artes Palace.