Silvio Rodríguez: A Troubadour’s Diary Captures Cuba’s Resilience and Latin America’s Soul
A new photography book and accompanying conversations offer an intimate portrait of Cuban singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez,revealing his enduring connection to a continent grappling with change and upheaval.
In September of last year, amidst one of the most challenging crises in Cuba’s recent history, the renowned singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez offered a concert for his people that, according to his own diary, “far exceeded what was expected.” The performance became a powerful symbol of unity, as Rodríguez observed a “need for cohesion” and a desire to find “a point of reunion” among several generations.This moment,and the life behind the music,are now captured in a new book,Silvio Rodríguez: Diary of a Troubadour,featuring 143 unpublished photographs by Daniel Mordzinski,known for his portraits of Latin America’s leading artists and writers.
The project was born from a simple proposition. “For a photographer like Daniel to make a photography book for you, it would be stupid to say no,” Rodríguez remarked during a recent conversation with Mordzinski and Cuban actor and film director Jorge Perugorría at the Hay Festival in Cartagena, colombia. Rodríguez, typically private, allowed Mordzinski unprecedented access to his life and work.
Mordzinski’s photographs reveal a man deeply connected to the political and social currents of Latin America.Rodríguez recalls a memorable encounter with Gabriel García Márquez on a flight during a storm in Mexico, where they bonded over shared anxieties and a mutual appreciation for strong spirits.
Rodríguez’s lyrics,Mordzinski emphasizes,are inextricably linked to the history of Latin America. He cites the song “This is not dead,” performed by Rodríguez in Santiago, Chile, in 2018, in front of the palacio de la Moneda – the site of President Salvador Allende’s death during the 1973 coup d’état – as a poignant example. The book interweaves these powerful images with excerpts from Rodríguez’s songs and diary entries, creating a layered and deeply personal narrative.
A recent trip to Argentina brought Rodríguez to Córdoba, “one of Che’s birthplaces,” inspiring him to prepare songs honoring the life of Ernesto “Che” Guevara. He plans to perform “Tune of will” – reflecting Guevara’s belief that intellectuals should not be beholden to official ideology – and “The Fool,” a poignant reflection on mortality: “I don’t know what destiny is, walking I was what I was, There God, who will be divine, I die as I lived.” The evolving revolutions of the 21st century are also present in Mordzinski’s photographs, including a striking image from Buenos Aires of young women holding the green scarves symbolizing Argentina’s feminist movement and its fight for abortion rights. Rodríguez, reflecting on this scene in his diary, wrote, “The revolutionary is characterized by pulling forward… Maybe in this century what is revolutionary will correspond to the people.”
Mordzinski’s connection to Rodríguez dates back decades, to a time when the Argentine photographer, fleeing the dictatorship in his homeland, found solace in the singer-songwriter’s music while living in Paris.He recalls receiving a cassette of Rodríguez’s latest album as a birthday gift in 1980, filled with now-classic songs like “Hopefully” and “At the end of this journey.” “In those times of lack and dreams, Silvio’s songs were a balm and provided me with an anchor of affection, poetry and love,” Mordzinski remembers. And, as he suggests, in times of continued scarcity, the music of silvio rodríguez remains a source of comfort and inspiration for many.
