Esteban Salas y Castro (December 25, 1725 – July 14, 1803) was a

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

n composer of

religious music Religious music (also sacred music) is a type of music that is performed or composed for religious use or through religious influence. It may overlap with ritual music, which is music, sacred or not, performed or composed for or as ritual. Relig ...

.Hernández Balaguer, Pablo 1987. ''Los villacicos, cantadas y pastorelas de Esteban Salas''. La Habana. His compositions focused chiefly on

vocal music Vocal music is a type of singing performed by one or more singers, either with instrumental accompaniment, or without instrumental accompaniment (a cappella), in which singing provides the main focus of the piece. Music which employs singing but d ...

, and are a fine representation of the late Baroque style. Although heavily influenced by French and Italian works of the period, his music is considered to incorporate an original Latin American component. He became a teacher and head of music at the Chapel of Music at the cathedral of

Santiago de Cuba Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana. The municipality extends over , and contains ...

from 1764. He also studied

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

and

canon law Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...

and was ordained a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...

in Santiago de Cuba in 1790. Salas composed his last carol for

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

1801. Interest in his works was revived during the twentieth century following the rediscovery of many of his scores during the 1940s by the Cuban novelist and musicologist,

Alejo Carpentier Alejo Carpentier y Valmont (, ; December 26, 1904 – April 24, 1980) was a Cuban novelist, essayist, and musicologist who greatly influenced Latin American literature during its famous "boom" period. Born in Lausanne, Switzerland, of French an ...

. Not much is known about his personal life but he was generally described as a man of mixed Spanish and African heritage. The music conservatory in Santiago de Cuba is named in his honor.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Salas, Esteban 1725 births 1803 deaths People from Santiago de Cuba Male composers Cuban Baroque composers Classical-period composers 18th-century Cuban Roman Catholic priests Musicians from Havana Male classical composers 19th-century male musicians Cuban male musicians 18th-century male musicians 19th-century Cuban Roman Catholic priests