Cuban singer-songwriter Pablo Milanés dead at 79

Pablo Milanés has died at the age of 79.

The GRAMMY award-winning singer-songwriter was known for Cuban hits like ‘Yolanda’ and ‘Amo Esta Isla’ but passed away recently, his management has confirmed.

Without revealing a cause of death, on Monday (22.11.22), his team posted on Facebook: “With great pain and sadness, we regret to report that Maestro Pablo Milanés has passed away this early morning on November 22 in Madrid. We deeply appreciate all the shows of love and support, to all his family and friends, in this very difficult time. May he rest in the love and peace he always transcended. He will remain forever in our memory.”

The ‘Vengo Naciendo’ hitmaker is survived by his children Haydée, Suylén , Lynn Milanés, and Antonio – who he has with ex-wife Yolanda but was married to Nancy Perez at the time of his death – and his passing comes just months after he made his final public appearance at his own headlining concert in Havana in June 2022.

Pablo previously explained that his hit ‘Yolanda’ – which was inspired by his first wife – had been “overwhelming ” in terms of the success of his career, noting that the song had been more “persistent ” than he ever would have hoped.

He said: “Yolanda has been overwhelming for my career. She has been stronger than me, more unpredictable than me, more persistent than I would have desired. Therefore, I believe the creation itself surpasses the artist’s intentions!”

In 2010, Pablo – who lived in Spain at the time of his death – came to public attention once again when signed a document entitled Manifesto of Cuban Civil Society calling for urgent social and economic reforms in Cuba.

At the time, he said: “Our country, united, needs to give way to new voices and new ways of thinking, that are demanding new laws and new freedoms,”