Roly Berrío, a prominent Cuban troubadour, was born in Santa Clara, in the central province of Villa Clara. His hometown first became known as a troubadour in the early 1990s, thanks to the exquisite descargas he performed in parks and other venues, where people couldn’t help but stop and listen to the singer-songwriter’s profound lyrics.

During that time, he had the opportunity to share some moments in the popular peñas then presided over by Julio Fowler, Carlos Trova Gutiérrez, and Amaury Gutiérrez. From the latter, he learned a lot about stage projection and how to adapt his voice to his vocal capabilities alongside the strings of his guitar.

While studying at the Félix Varela Higher Pedagogical Institute in Villa Clara, the idea of ​​forming a small group was born with his classmates Raúl Cabrera and Levis Aliaga. The idea soon materialized, and on February 14, 1992, the trio Enserie emerged. Given the creative talent of its three members, each performance offered a novel approach that quickly became something of an artistic phenomenon.

A few years later, Roly Berrío decided to continue solo, and the lyrics of his compositions became increasingly original and thoughtful. His musical concerns are reflected with great maturity in any of the genres he explored, with well-thought-out harmonies ranging from Son to Guaracha, often brilliantly interspersed with Afro elements without losing his characteristic authentic Cuban feel. Roly has kept in mind the brilliant Miguel Matamoros, Ñico Saquito, Pedro Luis Ferrer, and the Guayabero as his most notable references in his work.

Songs like Corazón de fantasma, De mirar, ¿toca morir?, Olor and En el hueco de un sombrero verde are just some of the many compositions in which the troubadour makes us reflect through the most romantic poetry on love as part of the very existence of man, while in others like Cupido tacaño, Y si tú me das un beso, Habichuela and Yerba para el dragón, he revitalizes in a very genuine way that kind of comical trova that entertains so much and in which he puts equal lyrical effort.

His few performances outside his province have been met with great amazement and satisfaction by the public, as despite the quality of his musical work, he is practically unknown. He has performed in some “A Guitarra Limpia” programs and was once invited to the Centro Hispanoamericano de Cultura as part of the “True Complot” series, where his participation was widely applauded.

Incredibly, despite the great communicative power of his solid creations and the spectacular nature of his performances, Roly Berrío hasn’t been fortunate enough to become known much beyond the borders of his native Santa Clara. His work doesn’t appear on radio or television programs, but the audiences who follow him to each of his performances, whether in concert or through popular mixtapes, recognize this troubadour as one of the most important creators of contemporary Cuban song.