Adelaida Diestro Rega (21 December 1924 – 28 October 1973), better known as Aida Diestro, was a

Cuban Cuban may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Cuba, a country in the Caribbean * Cubans, people from Cuba, or of Cuban descent ** Cuban exile, a person who left Cuba for political reasons, or a descendant thereof * Cuban citizen, a perso ...

pianist and the director of the famous vocal group Cuarteto d'Aida.

Career

Diestro was born in

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

on 21 December 1924. She studied music with her father, the

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

minister Vicente Diestro Camejo, and continued in a private conservatory. She became the choir director of her father's church, which taught her a great deal about harmony which came in useful later. Aida learnt more from the musician and composer , and his guidance played a decisive role in her future career. Years later she said: "Mantici gave me the confidence to confront the prejudices which female artistes encountered in those days." Diestro's first professional engagements was as a pianist on the radio, accompanying artists such as

César Portillo de la Luz César Portillo de la Luz (October 31, 1922May 4, 2013) was a Cuban musician, lyricist and composer. Born in Havana, Cuba, Portillo is credited with founding the '' filin'' music genre. ''The Miami Herald'' described Portillo as "a fundamental aut ...

and

Tania Castellanos Tania is usually a given name. It may refer to: Given name * Tânia Alves, Brazilian actress and singer * Tania Brishty, Bangladesh actress and model * Princess Tania de Bourbon Parme, French designer * Tania de Jong, Dutch-born Australian sopr ...

. Her big moment came when, in 1952, she formed the Cuarteto d'Aida, which became one of the most famous groups of its day. It was a

close-harmony A chord is in close harmony (also called close position or close structure) if its notes are arranged within a narrow range, usually with no more than an octave between the top and bottom notes. In contrast, a chord is in open harmony (also c ...

group of the filin style, with four brilliant young women. The four were

Elena Burke Elena Burke (born Romana Elena Burgues Gonzalez on February 28, 1928, in Havana, Cuba – June 9, 2002 in Havana, Cuba) was a revered and popular Cuban singer of boleros and romantic ballads. Biography She started her career by working in rad ...

Omara Portuondo Omara Portuondo Peláez (born 29 October 1930) is a Cuban singer and dancer. A founding member of the popular vocal group Cuarteto d'Aida, Portuondo has collaborated with many important Cuban musicians during her long career, including Julio Gu ...

and her sister Haydée, and Moraima Secada. The group, backed by male musicians, sang regularly on the television show ''El Show del Mediodía'', but only produced one LP record.Victor LP 1532 ''Cuarteto d'Aida con la orquesta de Chico O'Farrill. An evening at the Sans Souci''. The original group continued until 1960, and were replaced as they left. After Aida's death the group was led by Teté Caturla.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Diestro, Aida 1924 births 1973 deaths 20th-century pianists Cuban pianists Cuban women pianists Cuban bandleaders People from Havana 20th-century women pianists