Charlie Byrd of the USA and Carlos Barbosa-Lima from Brazil in rehearsal for a concert in the Purcell Room, London

We can proudly say that MARIANO MORES is a legendary living personality in the history of the Argentine tango. His music is well known in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Japan and Europe. One of this greatest achievements has been to transform the "orquesta tipica" (small ensemble), into a symphonic orchestra".

MARIANO MORES
was interviewed by
RADIO SPECTRUM
in London - July 1997

From left to right:
Leticia Agudelo, Journalist
Mariano Mores, composer and
pianist
Prof. J R Monroy, Chairman of the Latin American and
Caribbean Cultural Society (LACCS-UK)

Gabriela Elias and Eduardo Perez, stars of the Buenos Aires Tango Ballet performing at the Royal Festival Hall, London in 1997

From left to right:
J.R.Monroy, Carlos Barbosa-Lima, Charlie Byrd, Juanita Sylvester, HE Senior Rubens Antonio Barbosa at the Ambassador's residence in London in 1996 on the occasion of a concert at the Purcell Room paying tribute to Laurindo Almeida

J.R.Monroy with composer Carlos Guastavino in Buenos Aires 1996

I found recently in my personal photo-archive some interesting photos related to my visit to Vietnam in 1995. Suddenly a set of them attracted my attention because of the importance of the momentum I had when talking to one of the greatest Vietnamese composer of the 20th century.

Ten year have passed since I met VAN CAU composer, pianist, and painter in Hanoi. I still remember when I was invited to see him at his home in a neighbourhood far away from my hotel in Pho Ngo Quyen, Hoan Kiem district.

I was very nervous and at the same time with intellectual curiosity to introduce myself to the author of the Vietnamese National anthem. I knew for writing references that he was a free-thinker, an educated man, and admirer of non Asian philosophies and ideas which served him as a great source of inspiration which challenged his inquisitive mind.

It took me some time - in a three wheeled vehicle pulled by a local man to arrive to the composer's house. It was a sunny day, and I was full of excitement for I was going to meet such an important personality.

I introduced myself, and have the privilege to talk to someone who I know was one of the greatest musicians of Indo-China, now he was an old man suffering from an incurable illness however he accepted to talk in French for more than one hour.

He talked of his experiences living in Paris in later 1920's.
He said he knew Heitor Villa-Lobos (Brazil), with whom in the 1920's he discussed his own music. This great musician also remembered Pablo Neruda, Chilean Nobel Prize amongst many others writers and Latin American intellectuals of his own generation.

My conversation with him was interrupted by romantic sounds from a cassette recording. I was lucky to listen several of his beautiful pieces composed for strings orchestra. I thought to myself how could be such as similarity between the music of two geniuses:
Villa-Lobos and Van Cau?

I tried to find my own explanation: both personalities in music served the inspiration of their own ideas, whether revolutionary, avant-garde, romantic or pacifist.

* Van Cau died in July 1995 three months later of my visit to his home in Hanoi.
*********************************************

J.R.Monroy with Venezuelan guitarist Alirio Diaz on the occasion of a concert at the Purcell Room, February 1995

J R Monroy presents the LACCS-UK Award 1992 to Laurindo Almeida of Brazil, at St John's Smith Square, London on the 3rd April, during a concert in Almeida's honour given by Carlos Barbosa-Lima

From left to right:
Laurindo Almeida, J.R.Monroy, Carlos Barbosa-Lima, Thiago de Mello at St John's Smith Square, London, April 1992

Centenary of the birth of Heitor Villa-Lobos, Concert and Reception at St John's Smith Square, London, 28th April 1987.  
Left to right:
Prof.J.R.Monroy (President LACCS-UK), Mrs Maria de Souza e Silva, His Excellency the Brazilian Ambassador, Senor Celso de Souza e Silva, Juanita Sylvester (LACCS-UK)