She fell in love with a Cuban man, and then, she fell in love with Cuba. She has performed here and has felt so welcome: "if there are two places in the world where I feel free, they are my town, Salorino, and Havana," she states. In addition, she confesses that she is a great fan of Granada-born singer-songwriter Carlos Cano and he was the one who opened the doors for her to the Cuban scene. She also appreciates "the luck that she crossed paths with the National Symphony of Cuba," with which she was introduced in an edition of the Cubadisco Festival that recently awarded her the International Award. Cuba con coplas was the first album she recorded on the island. In this regard, she highlights: "in the album, I brought back songs that had already been sung by women like Sara Montiel, Lola Flores, Rocío Jurado and a very long list of artists who devoted themselves to the world of coplas. They sang all of the coplas here and then they all improved their work by enriching them with the Cuban son, that world of the bolero and with all those wonderful rhythms that we treasure together." Pilar is an all-around artist, a show woman, but she knows how to appreciate and take advantage of the contribution of her colleagues in Cuba. She is absolutely sure of it: "This country continues to provide musicians and artists for the entire world every day. That is the hallmark of Cuba and we can never lose it." She shared the stage with musicians such as maestro Joaquín Betancourt with his Big Band and pianist and composer Alejandro Falcón. She featured the collaboration of singer-songwriter Israel Rojas in the album Homenaje a Carlos Cano, CD with which she won the Cubadisco Award. After her performance at the Sauto Theater in Matanzas, the Spaniard described her interaction with the Cuban musicians as very good: "I met maestro Joaquín Betancourt at the San Remo Festival and from that moment on, the idea of carrying out this production blossomed. I invited musical director Jaime Reyes and some other musicians from Spain, who have enjoyed a lot being here from the time we were rehearsing at the Abdala recording studio. And then Fernando, from Septeto Santiaguero, and other wonderful artists you have here showed up there. We have shared a lot with Haila, who is our soul sister. It is being great these days." But Pilar Boyero constantly repeats one sentence: "Of all that I have experienced in this country, without a doubt, the best thing has been that contact with the people, that feeling when you know the bond is forever, as you have the ability to understand music in a very different way. I say in Spain that once you experience the applause of Cubans, you know is not enough elsewhere.” It was her first performance in the Athens of Cuba: "The truth is that I have heard a lot about Matanzas but every time I arrived in Cuba I go to Havana. It seems to me a spectacularly beautiful city, at least those little things I have seen, and the theater is a treasure. I have felt their warmth from day one and I want to return now. They know my repertoire perfectly. They have been wonderful days, with this repertoire that I love and defend so much. When you taste the applause of the Cuban public all the others seem decaffeinated," she insists. This artist is not only welcomed with open arms in this island, but also the music and traditions she stands for: “I saw it first in a school when I was singing Pena, Penita, Pena, before children. And I did not believe they approached me and congratulated me because it was the sort of music their grandpas listened to. I would say that the public’s reaction is even greater than that of young people in Spain. I realize that, apparently, there is a repertoire that underlies in the Cuban people.” Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translation Staff