Cecilia Valdes de Gonzalo Roig

Experience an afternoon of Cuban zarzuela with a presentation of Cecilia Valdés at Miami-Dade County Auditorium on Sunday, August 27. The performance features music composed by Gonzalo Roig based on the novel by Cirilo Villaverde. Considered to be one of the first Cuban novels, Villaverde's work depicts the interaction of classes and races in Havana, Cuba. 

Published in 1839 and considered to be one of the first Cuban novels, Villaverde's work tells the story of Cecilia Valdés, a young and beautiful woman of mixed race who is the illegitimate daughter of the powerful land magnate and slave trader, Cándido de Gamboa. Cándido's legitimate son, Leonardo de Gambo, falls in love with Cecilia, not realizing that she is his own half-sister, and they become lovers. Meanwhile, a poor black musician, José Dolores Pimienta, is also hopelessly in love with Cecilia. Cecilia rejects Pimenta’s advances and conceives Leonardo’s son.