The Tribune

By RIEL MAJOR

A CUBAN percussionist visited Government High School yesterday to participate in an art and music initiative.

Jose Cordova had the opportunity to listen to 13 students in grades 11 and 12 of the Government High band perform a Bahamian song in Junkanoo style. He also played the drums along with the students and taught them about rhythms used in Cuban music.

Mr Cordova said: “I believe that all of us are percussionist from birth. You are born with percussion and you will die with percussion.

“I’ve been around various parts of the world and I was doing research about percussion and this is the second time I’ve been to the Bahamas. In all of the years I’ve been traveling, this is the one of the cultures’ rhythms I love.”

The Ministry of Youths, Sports and Culture worked with the Cuban embassy to set up the visit.

Rowena Poitier Sutherland, director of culture at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, said: “Today this experience is marrying both culture and youth and it’s important that we celebrate our artist that…that we celebrate professionalism.

“We celebrate our access to the international world our sisters and brothers in the region in Cuba and to tap into that and so it’s an amazing opportunity the Cuban embassy has extended to our Bahamian students that they have this opportunity to work side by side with these industry professionals.

“We need to educate them on the importance of not just being a free artist but how to become a professional in the industry and how to generate income from the industry and also that it is possible and that other people do it around the world.

“So I think it’s the utmost important for us to celebrate that for us to recognise that and so that’s what I think my presence here is doing as well. Just putting that feel of approval and stamp of validation on such an industry.”