Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel on Friday highlighted the role of the country’s artistic vanguard and, especially, the members of the New Song Movement, which are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year.

“Our country is honored to acknowledge the invaluable permanent contribution of its artists, especially today, to those who founded and sustain the Cuban New Song Movement,” the president wrote on his Twitter account.

The head of the Ideological Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, Rogelio Polanco, also highlighted the recent tribute paid to the representatives of this musical genre. “Infinite gratitude to genuine artists and promoters of our identity,” he tweeted.

According to the Cubarte website, on Thursday, the work done throughout their careers by a group of Cuban musicians was recognized, as they received the commemorative decoration on the 50th anniversary of the New Song Movement.

At the headquarters of the Ministry of Culture, in Havana, Deputy Minister Fernando Rojas called attention to the impact of this genre that has for decades assimilated and made essential contributions to Cuban music and literature.

“The performance of its makers has been characterized by high social and political commitment”, assumptions that have known how to transcend time and settle in the new generations of artists and promoters of the genre,” Rojas stated. He highlighted “the work that women and men of popular extraction and creative genius have contributed for half a century to the national culture within that forceful, refined, diverse and transcendent musical and poetic expression that we have simply called ‘trova’ (singer songwriters’ music), which was recently declared Cultural Heritage of the nation.”

Cuban Music Institute President Indira Fajardo presented the distinction to artists Silvio Rodríguez Domínguez, Amaury Pérez Vidal, José Andrés Ordaz, Enrique Corona Rodríguez, Angel Quintero Díaz, Anabel López Domínguez, Rosa María Ameneiros, and music critic Joaquín Borges Triana.

The Distinction for National Culture was also granted to Lien Rodríguez López, Silvio Alejandro Rodríguez, Josué García Silveiro, Heidi Igualada, Enrique Carballea, Iván Soca Pascual, Anabel López Domínguez, Benito de la Fuente Escalona and Rosa María Ameneiro.

For their part, musicians Pablo Menéndez, Adolfo Costales, Francisco Guedes, Enrique Corona and Angel Quintero deserved the Alejo Carpentier Medal, granted by the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba.

Meanwhile, the Félix Varela Order in the First Degree, conferred by the Cuban Government, was bestowed to Augusto Blanca, Carlos Alfonso Valdés, Jorge Jesús Gómez, Miriam Ramos, Enio Alberto Falla, José Andrés Ordaz, Guillermo José Vilar, Corina Mestre, as well of the bands Moncada and Sintesis.