Dúo Cofradía, a Cuban music duo from Trinidad consisting of Pachi Ruiz and Lia Llorente, will be taking the stage at the Mae Wilson Theatre on May 3, the second last show of a tour the two were determined to take.
The three-week musical tour is taking Ruiz and Llorente around Saskatchewan, a province that holds a special place in their hearts as they were extremely close with Joe Fafard and family — the timing of the tour makes Llorente feel like it is almost an homage to their late friend.
Their story really is compelling; the two met by chance for a music festival in their small city when Llorente began a last minute search for a guitar player to accompany her in the show.
After performing together, with very little practice, and winning the competition, the pair decided to continue making music together; now, 21 years later, they are married and doing exactly that.
Their first trip to perform in Saskatchewan was in 2006, and Llorente spoke fondly of the experience.
“The idea was to show us Saskatchewan and to bring musicians from Cuba, because always I think Cuban musicians go to Toronto, Montreal, the big circuits,” said Llorente. “We live in Trinidad, a small city, and we don't like the big cities; for us, it's complicated. And it was meaningful to be here, to learn, to see that big sky; it's very flat. It was beautiful for us, it was like another way, like the ocean without water.”
During the trip, Ruiz and Llorente connected with Joe Fafard and his family and bonded; they found a familiarity in the arts and music communities of the prairies.
“We have that connection with Joe's family, and with Regina and Saskatchewan, it's like our second place in the world,” said Llorente, who was determined to make it to the celebration of life for Fafard being held on May 5, despite the closure of the Cuban embassy hindering their visas.
Since 2006, the duo has continued to return to Saskatchewan to perform their music, which is an experience they truly enjoy sharing.
“Cuban music is something so special, it’s a fusion between different rhythms. It’s a fusion between African and Spanish music, you know, how powerful those two kinds of music [are],” said Llorente.
“It’s the nature of our music, the sound, the timbre,” said Ruiz. “We make all these instruments alive, and people like to listen to that.”
“It’s a feeling, like a rhythm; you're feeling that music. The harmonies are what help people play this music in Cuba,” said Llorente. “We play our Cuban music with all of our heart.”
Dúo Cofradía performs a show with just a guitar, a minor percussion instrument, and a pair of harmonizing voices, yet they try to make it feel like an entire band; they want to share the energy of Cuban music and their own personal histories with their audiences.
‘The music is in a universal language. We know how to translate,” said Llorente.
Tickets to the May 3 show are available on the Cultural Centre’s website, or by calling the box office at (306) 693-4700.
