Cuban Singer Sara Gonzalez Passed Away

Sara González was one of the most representative voices of the Cuban New Song Movement, who died of cancer at age 60. Her death, announced on Wednesday, raised a wave of grief in cultural sectors and among people, who followed her career step by step and endorsed her songs.

The Cuban newspaper Granma published an article entitled "Sara will always be the voice of victory", which described her as one of the paradigmatic voices of the Cuban New Song Movement over the past 50 years. For its part, the newspaper Juventud Rebelde highlighted her integrity: "Like the heroes she sang for, we must remember her without crying, in the arms, on earth, because her people shall not allow her to die at the end, when she gave her voice, so much passion, so much song," said the article.

Sara underwent a complex surgery late last year and had recovered in recent months. Last December, she was seen, surrounded by friends, in her traditional gathering The Fat Woman's Yard. Founder of the movement that brought together such personalities as Silvio Rodríguez, Noel Nicola and Pablo Milanes, among others, Sara joined the so-called Grupo de Experimentación Sonora del ICAIC, directed by Leo Brouwer.

Besides composing music for Jose Marti's simple verses, she left her signature forever in songs like "Andes lo que andes", "Un hombre se levanta", "Amor de millones" and "Girón, la Victoria".

At the moment of her death, she was putting the finishing touches on her next album, the third edition of "Songs of Women", featuring several generations of Cuban singers such as Olga Navarro, Mercedes Pedroso, Tanmy Lopez and Yaima Orozco. Her ashes were on display since early Thursday morning at the Cuban Institute of Music, where relatives and friends paid tribute to her.