The film documentary '88 Strings Attached', made by director Elizabeth C. Jones and producer Ellen Cranitch, was screened at last year's Galway Film Fleadh as part of the official programme, and at the Inaugural Festival of Irish Cinema in Havana in November 2009.
The film details the genesis of the Una Corda project (before we had even thought up a name !), from its first fundraising concerts in Galway and Dublin in 2006, to the music schools and concert halls of Havana, and back again. Project founder Ciaran Ryan meets young student tuners, musicians, teachers, composers, and the legendary Chucho Valdés, who has since become a strong supporter of the project.
A shortened version of the film, entitled '88 Keys in Cuba' and introduced by Rageh Omar, was screened by Al Jazeera in Novemeber 2008. Click below to see the YouTube version.
20 JULY 2009, CORK (l-r) His Excellency Sr. Noel Carrillo, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba, Minister for Foreign Affairs Micháel Martin TD and Maestro Chucho Valdés at the CIT Cork School of Music before Chucho's triumphant solo concert. [Photo by Daragh Kane]
Professor Evelyn Grant of the CIT Cork School of Music introduces the show to a packed auditorium [Photo by Daragh Kane]
Minister Micháel Martin TD welcomes Chucho to Ireland and to Cork. The Minister spoke about his visit to the project's workshop in Havana in February, and announced that Una Corda will receive a special grant of €5,000 from the Department of Foreign Affairs. [Photo by Daragh Kane]
Chucho deep in concetration during his spellbinding solo performance in the Curtis Auditorium at the Cork School of Music. [Photo by Daragh Kane]
21 JULY 2009, DUBLIN Gerry Godley of the Improvised Music Company welcomes the capacity crowd to Vicar Street. Over 1,000 friends and supporters of Una Corda crammed into the auditorium ... and they weren't going to be dissappointed... [photo by Conor O'Dwyer, www.mediawave.ie]
In February 2009, Una Corda were delighted to welcome Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin to the project’s headquarters in Havana. Minister Martin said that he regarded the Una Corda as “a good example of the cultural bonds existing between the two nations, which can be developed even more, particularly in the sphere of music”.
While there, Minister Martin met with Sr. Felipe Vázquez, director of the Centre of Coordination for International Collaboration of the Cuban Ministry of Culture and also with the legendary Cuban pianist Chucho Valdes, who is a supporter of the project.
