Santiago Feliu – The rebellious troubadour

Mar 12, 2019


The terrible thing these days are the veins of remembrance”

No one can speak of Santiago Feliu without quoting his song “Vida” (Life). The youngest Feliu, younger brother of the troubadour Vicente Feliu, was born on March 29th, 1962 and died, surprisingly, the February 12th, 2014.

Santi”, as his acquaintances told, made to the public about 11 phonograms. Among the most popular they are: “Vida” (Life) (1986), “Náuseas de fin de siglo” (Nausea of the Century) (1991), “Sin Julieta” (Without Juliet) (2002) and his last production before dying, “Ay, la vida” (Oh, life) (2010). He performed concerts all over the world, singing in more than 25 cities. He shared the stage with artists such as Joan Manuel Serrat, Leon Gieco and Fito Paez.

A man born with a love of music

From a young age, Santiago Feliu was associated with members of the Nueva Trova that occurred in Cuba. Thanks to his big brother, the founder and active member of the movement, met firsthand Pablo Milanes, Noel Nicola, Silvio Rodriguez, among many others.

Santiago Feliu music has many influences. Although the Nueva Trova is what prevails, there are also more experimental or exotic different genres on his music. He never stopped looking for new ways to accompany his lyrics. This level of experimentation, with his character, made him carry the nickname of “Electric”.

Santiago Feliu was left-handed, but never learned to play on a “left-handed” way. Therefore, he surprised with his peculiar technique: he was a musician who played with the hierarchy of the ropes as a right, but with the instrument in the other hand. Other musicians had tried to this adaptation ithout success, but Santiago Feliu made it his personal style within the Cuban music.

Santiago Feliu and Novísima Trova

This musician is listed by critics as the newest member of Novísima Trova, from the time when it was developed as a songwriter, for the topics on which he bowed and his understanding of music. In this movement they include others as Frank Delgado, Gerardo Alfonso, Carlos Varela and Pedro Luis Ferrer.

Life is all life goes as we plan ahead, what will happen to us if we were or we will”.

The tone of his songs is often rebellious and explosive or melancholy. Santiago Feliu letters seeking intimacy with the receiver, seeking a complicity, a brotherhood with their audience.

The songs composed by Santiago Feliu talk about the reality of Cuba. The author loved his country and wanted equality, liberty and happiness for all Cubans. He used to sing love songs, to friendships, to the homeland, family, life, but always analyzing their reality. His audience was all that was willing to listen, no matter if they lived inside or outside Cuba.

He rejected corruption, injustices and abuses, but always under the banner of building a more just society.

Death did not want Santiago Feliu continue among us with his art. On the morning of February 12th, 2014, while returning from a rehearsal with X Alfonso, a heart attack destroyed all their plans. He died without knowing the youngest of his children.



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