Wilfredo “Pachi” Naranjo Wins National Music Award

HAVANA TIMES, Dec. 9 — The National Music Award was presented on Thursday to Wilfredo “Pachi” Naranjo, the founder and director of the Original de Manzanillo, a popular Cuban dance-music group.

Naranjo (who is also the keyboardist, composer and arranger for the group), is a watchful guardian of Cuban music, especially those sounds characteristic of the Cauto Basin, his native area.

The jury — chaired by Digna Guerra, the director of the National Choir of Cuba; and made up of the musicians Adalberto Alvarez, Pancho Amat and Frank Fernandez — selected the artist for his overall work and contributions.