Wilfredo Salvador Naranjo Verdecia. Also known as Pachy Naranjo. Great leader, with a great musical talent, has managed to keep his group for more than 25 years in the preference of the public. With this group he has developed various activities, both in Cuba and abroad, with great public acceptance and he has participated as a board member in various musical events and he has obtained individual and collective acknowledgements.
He was honored with the National Music Award 2011[1], the most important award in Cuba for sound creation sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and the Cuban Music Institute.
He was born on June 3, 1949 in the city of Manzanillo. Her cultural and musical talent was so natural that when he was 5 or 6 years old he already performed small pieces on the piano sung by Rolando La serie, such as “Moliendo café”, among others. He acquired this knowledge without academic help, even though his mother was a music teacher.
For his systematic preparation of his art, in 1960 he entered the Hubert de Blanck conservatory of music, in the city of Manzanillo.
Professional career
They quickly captured his talent for the formation of a combo called ” Los Traviesos” (“The Naughty Men”), which led to the idea of a more professional group for his career.
In 1963 he joined the Orquesta Original de Manzanillo, and immediately achieved fame as an arranger, so much so that he was invited to participate in one of the festivals of the Musical Creator held in Santiago de Cuba, where his talented creation was emphasized since a musical work was made where three institutions were merged: The Oriental Symphony, the Jazz Band Orchestra of modern music of Santiago de Cuba and the Original Orchestra of Manzanillo.
Wilfredo Pachy Naranjo has known how to carry out his position as Director with discipline and to develop as a musician with great quality, from Manzanillo and without abandoning his cultural roots. This Orchestra and its conductor have spread the Cuban native music with great pride, in several countries, where it has been received with much respect and through a musical touch that has managed to emancipate its style.
The Original of Manzanillo
This orchestra constitutes the first French charanga of the Guacanayabo Gulf, although according to his director in the first artistic activities the name that characterized the famous orchestra was “La Típica Pachy”. With the birth of this grouping the city of Manzanillo obtained a very wide musical development, which was starred by the wonderful success that had the “Original”; from its foundation.
Awards obtained by the orchestra
For this unceasing dedication and for the high quality of this group since its inception has been awarded and honored:
In 1971 it was awarded the Banderas Héroes del Moncada, which it has managed to maintain up to the present day to become a centre of heroic tradition.
In 1988 she received the Alejo Carpentier Medal awarded by the Council of State.
In 1990 he was awarded the Distinction for National Culture by the Council of State.
In 1994 he won the only Orchestration Award interpreted by the Original Orchestra of Manzanillo.
In the year 2002 he receives the Order Félix Varela of first degree granted by the Council of State.
International tours
They have made 52 international tours distributed among: Panama, Mexico, Canada, Colombia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Russia, Germany, Belgium, Holland, France, Spain, and African countries.