ILUSIÓN Y VERDAD – New Album from Fiorella Camilleri

“Culture is who we are and what shapes our identity. No development can be sustainable without including culture”

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaims,

“Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.”

“Caring for cultural heritage ensures this right and promotes societal wellbeing.”

Words from the artist, Fiorella Camilleri 

I am an orchestral musician by profession for these past 17 years; however, my passion is in creating and managing chamber music projects as part of my artistic formation. I am a huge advocate of cultural diplomacy and Unity in Diversity. According to the American scholar Milton Cummings, Cultural Diplomacy can be defined as the exchange of ideas, information, art, and other aspects of culture among nations and their people in order to foster mutual understanding. The Unity in Diversity, on the other hand, promotes cultural diplomacy and sustainable development, with the aim to enhance and develop International relations within and between states. And what could be a better way to combine both chamber music, my passion for music, and cultural diplomacy, to be that force of positive change through music. The Cuban Album is all about this force of change and understanding other peoples’ culture through their music culture and rhythm.

In February 2020, Ahmed and I were invited to Havana, Cuba, to perform at the International Guitar Festival. It was such a great learning experience, where I got to explore and learn a new style of playing, hearing the sounds and rhythm of Cuban music.

ILUSIÓN Y VERDAD (Illusion and Truth), which will be released by Parma Recordings on the 11^th of March 2022, will set a musical milestone that challenges our audiences and brings into the world afresh an innovative hour-long collection of pieces for Flute and Guitar. Our selection of works by Grammy nominee composer Eduardo Martín and fellow countryman Walfrido Domínguez conveys an intelligent and successful marriage between modern Cuban rhythms, Latin sounds, and the western classical world of music. It was a great satisfaction recording and working on this album, especially because it is a privilege to record a repertoire composed by a living composer and also because this album encapsulates the documentation of cultural heritage.

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ILUSIÓN Y VERDAD from Cuban guitarist Ahmed Dickinson Cárdenas and Maltese flutist Fiorella Camilleri is a vibrant collection of works for guitar and flute. The music incorporates not only the infectious Afro-Cuban rhythms for which Cárdenas is known, but also features elements of blues and rock, among others.

Works like Hasta Alicia Baila and Sones Y Flores are especially inspired by the diverse history of Cuban music and its relationship to jazz and western classical music. Throughout the album, Cárdenas and Camilleri exhibit their ability to transcend genre limitations with ease, creating new and fascinating cross-cultural musical connections. Even still, Cárdenas’s performances reveal him to be a proud ambassador for his country’s music. Lauded by Classic FM Magazine as a “true pioneer,” Cárdenas upholds this title with ILUSIÓN Y VERDAD.

Release Date: March 11, 2022

Catalog #: AR0017

Format: Physical & Digital