Miami, July 24, 2024 – Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Miami Film Festival celebrates the 105th birthday of one of Cuba’s most important musical figures, the legendary sonero Benny Moré, with a presentation of the documentary film Al Bárbaro del Ritmo at 7 p.m. on Friday, August 23, at MDC’s Koubek Center. The movie will be in Spanish with English subtitles.
Directed by Sergio Giral and produced by Recaredo Gutierrez, the documentary details the Tropicana All Star, an orchestra created specifically to pay tribute to Moré during a concert at the Fontainebleau Hotels in 2003. Archival material and interviews with Cuban and Latin music celebrities explore the roots of the island’s rhythms and portray Moré’s unique talent. The film also features Celia Cruz, Olga Guillot, Willy Chirino, Bebo Valdéz, Juanito Marquéz, Marco Antonio Muñiz, Israel Kantor, Cachao and Paquito D’Rivera, among other luminaries.
Moré is widely considered the most distinguished Cuban singer of all time. He was gifted with innate musicality and a fluid tenor voice. He was a master of most genres of Cuban music, including son montuno, mambo, guaracha and bolero. He also formed and led the leading Cuban big band of the 1950s until his death in 1963.
The screening is free with registration. Reserve your tickets at https://miamifilmfestival.com/cuban-cinema-series.
Free parking is available at the Koubek Center.
WHAT: Cuban Cinema Series Pays Tribute to Benny Moré
WHEN: Friday, August 23, at 7 p.m.
WHERE: MDC’s Koubek Center, 2705 S.W. 3rd St.