By Kevin Greer
Lakeside Communications Manager
Eliades Ochoa is considered one of the most renowned Cuban “soneros” of all time. He takes the Hoover Auditorium stage for the first time at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16 during Lakeside’s Global Music Weekend.
“I don’t recall ever playing in Ohio,” Ochoa said through an interpreter.
Ochoa is a notable defender of traditional Cuban music. His distinctive cowboy hat and his penchant for wearing black have led some to call him “The Cuban Johnny Cash.” He has been with multiple groups, most notably the Buena Vista Social Club and Afro Cubism.
Ochoa was raised in the mountains of Santiago de Cuba by his parents, who came from a family of farmers. At a very young age, he began to play the guitar. As a teenager, he started visiting La Casa de la Trova, a small place in Santiago de Cuba, and listened to trovadores, who are people who play guitars.
“I just liked to listen to their music and see what they did,” Ochoa said. “They never liked teachers, so I taught myself by listening to those guitar players.”
Ochoa started playing professionally as a teenager in 1963. He joined the Septeto Típico Oriental in 1969 and officially entered the Casa de la Trova in 1970, where he began to perform regularly.
Ochoa’s album, Sublime Ilusión, was nominated for a Grammy as Best Traditional Tropical and Latin Album. Tributo al Cuarteto Patria is an album that recognizes Pancho Cobas, founder of Cuartero Patia, and the troubadours and composers who have inspired Ochoa’s career. With this album, Ochoa was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Traditional Tropical and Latin Performance.
In 2010, he recorded the album Afrocubism accompanied by his group Patria and musicians from Mali. This project gave way to the Buena Vista Social Club. National Geographic named it the best album of the world that year, and in 2012 it was nominated for an American Grammy.
“Buena Vista Social Club completely changed my career,” Ochoa said. “I don’t feel like I am famous, but the band helped create a name for myself.”
In addition to the Cuban music he grew up listening to and has played for over 60 years, he also enjoys the music that represents a country and the roots of its culture.
Prior to coming to Lakeside, Ochoa, who now resides in Madrid, Spain, played several sold out shows in Europe. He has no plans of slowing down.
“Touring is what makes me feel alive,” Ochoa said. “Being with the audience and having that connection is what makes me strong. I always loved music. I always thought that I would become a musician for the people, and that’s what I am right now.”
