• THE certainty that the music of Juan Almeida Bosque will continue to enrich the spiritual heritage of the nation was confirmed yesterday with the song concert staged at MINFAR’s Universal Hall entitled "With an outstretched hand" and attended by President Raúl Castro Ruz.

Over the space of an hour, boleros, ballads, son songs and elegies conceived through the sensibility and artistic vocation of the determined and loyal combatant, the Commander of the Revolution, to whom the people bade farewell on his passage towards immortality.

The overture was truly impressive for its simple eloquence: while the National Choir of Cuba sang "Canción sin palabras" ("Song without words"), composed by Almeida, children and teenagers from the group’s youth section laid flowers at the front of the stage.

Frank Fernández, artistic director of the concert and author of the prologue of the book published by Editora Abril, performed another song by Almeida, "La Lupe," with the participation of all the artists, including notable performances by Beatriz Márquez and Bárbara Llanes, the Entrevoces choir, the National Concert Band and the National Children’s Choir.

Present in the audience were Vice President Esteban Lazo, Commander of the Revolution Ramiro Valdés and Generals of the Army Leopoldo Cintra Frías, first deputy minister of the FAR, and Álvaro López Miera, deputy minister of the Chief of Staff of the FAR, all members of the Political Bureau of the Party; and Julio Martínez, first secretary of the Union of Young Communists, the organization hosting the tribute.