Organ of organillos

The organillos, which are in disuse today, entertained many popular festivals in Cuba during the last century. The most famous were Manzanillo's organs. There are many who still remember the show that supposed the arrival of an eastern organ to any city. They remember, nostalgia, the almost magical cadence of their melodies. Modesto Moreno is a member of the Fornaris family, the most recognized musical organ builders in Cuba. When I visited him at his home in Manzanillo, these were some of the things he told me. “I am in this since 53 ... the old man got sick and, nineteen years old, I had to stay in front of this ... I manufacture everything ... from the base to the last piece ... An organ has cost a year and two months of work ... Building a score for organ is difficult ... because it is almost the same score that uses an orchestra ... you have to do the bass part, that of the trumpet, that of the violin ... And then you don't get out of measure ... because if you don't ride that and everyone is wrong ... Here was danced in many places with the organ ... and a lot was used for the fields ... it was transported in truck”. Manzanillo, Cuba.   Pepe Navarro