P u r o

Angel Rubio Espinoza (46) is the oldest member of Madera Limpia. He is a carpenter and continues to work as one in order to survive.
Puro started to play the trés-guitar as a youngster; he was a member of several traditional music groups and has a huge experience in interpreting the CHANGÜI.
He comes from Baracoa, a small seaside town in the north-eastern part of the island.
About his role in the band:
In the band ML I play folk music on the tres; I compose, and incorporate traditional Guantánamo music into rap, into the collective.
That’s why you can see the age difference. Mine and the guys’. They have seen me many times as a counsellor for work matters and personal matters.
Changüi:
Usually, people feel the changui inside, like it’s part of their bodies. People must dance or feel it to listen to it.
It’s a cultural expression of the working class, a way to pass the time and have fun.
For Guantánameros, it’s a way of escaping life’s problems.
Surviving:
I think there’s always a struggle for material things, a daily struggle, but you always survive. Some material things are secured, but others are not, and those are what the people struggle for in the streets.

About the guantanameros:
Men and women in this region in Guantánamo care about their bodies, their personal appearance, skin, everything... more than eating.
It could be that the women are more erotic or the men gotta try harder. Maybe it’s ‘cause the sun’s so bright, and the earth’s so hot.
Beside playing his trés-guitar, Puro also writes his own songs.
His rather traditional music fits very well with that of his younger colleagues.