Pedro Sanjuán y el afrocubanismo musical en el contexto de la vanguardia cubana de la década de 1920

Abstract

Between 1923 and 1932 Pedro Eugenio Sanjuán Nortes (San Sebastián, 1886–Washington, 1976) took up residence in Havana, where he was very active in the city’s musical life as co-founder and conductor-in-chief of the Orquesta Filarmónica, a contributor to various journals, a teacher, lecturer and composer. His association with the Grupo Minorista and figures with similar interests marked his career on the Island, slotting him into the Cuban avant-garde movement, and led to his participation in its Afro-Cuban side with his compositions. This article analyzes the dissimilar reception of his foray into musical Afrocubanismo in Cuban and Spanish music historiography and clarifies his possible role in the emergence of this nationalist tendency.