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Popular Cuban singer-songwriter and guitarist Pablo Milanes recently passed away on November 21 at 79 years of age. While his representatives confirmed the news, they did not reveal the cause of death. Milanes was undergoing treatment for blood cancer, but it remains unknown whether the disease led to his death.
Mourning his demise, Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz paid tribute to him on social media, saying,
“The culture in Cuba is in mourning for the death of Pablo Milanes.”
Milanes gained recognition as the founder of the Cuban nueva trova alongside Silvio Rodriguez and Noel Nicola. He recorded several albums and singles like Yolanda, Yo Me Quedo, Amo Esta Isla, and more.
Netizens pay tribute to the late singer on Twitter
Pablo Milanes became a famous name in the music industry in recent years for his flawless compositions. Twitter was flooded with tributes when the news of demise broke:
Pablo Milanes was receiving treatment for blood cancer
Pablo Milanes died in Spain where he was undergoing treatment for blood cancer. He was hospitalized earlier this month following which he canceled his concerts.
The singer suffered kidney failure in June 2014 for which he had to be hospitalized at the University Hospital Complex of La Coruna. He underwent a kidney transplant, receiving an organ donated by his wife Nancy Perez.
At the time, sources revealed that Milanes was recovering satisfactorily after the operation alongside Perez. It was also reported that Pablo had undergone around 22 surgeries throughout his lifetime due to chronic necrosis in the head of the femur, which led him to experience severe pain.
He underwent another surgery in March 2012 when doctors found an umbilical hernia that could have potentially led to peritonitis. Apart from these health complications, there have been quite a few rumors concerning his health over the years.
Pablo Milanes issued more than 40 records in his lifetime
Born on February 24, 1943, Pablo Milanes moved to Havana with his family in 1950. He joined the Conservatorio Municipal de La Habana and gave his first performance in 1956. By the age of 15, he was performing in bohemian musical circles as well.
Milanes supported the Cuban Revolution and was sent to Camaguey’s UMAP agricultural forced-labor camp in 1965. He escaped in 1967, which led to his imprisonment in La Cabana, and the singer was released only after the prison camp was closed.
He joined a group of young musicians called the Grupo de Experimentacion Sonora in 1969, and most of them went on to become the nueva trova’s founding members. Milanes collaborated with several artists from Cuba, Latin America, and Spain, and his first record with original songs was not released until 1976.
Milanes was considered one of the few singers who closely followed the traditional roots of Cuban music and was open to musical influences from other contemporary traditions like Brazilian music and Blues. He created poems for Cuban writers like Jose Marti and Nicolas Guillen and was heavily influenced by Lorenzo Hierrezuelo, Benny More, Maria Teresa Vera, Lucho Gatica, Johann Sebastian Bach, and more.
Following his relocation to Spain, he criticized some aspects of the Cuban government. He spoke about the failure of the Cuban Revolution, which deeply affected his relationship with Silvio Rodriguez.
Pablo is survived by his wife and their two sons.
