And I Also Loved the Music
Gedeón Santana Anye (1998) Monte Plata. He has no children and is single. He is not currently studying. He has a national identity and electoral card.
I was born in 1998, in the province of Monte Plata. Since I was born I always saw my brothers Yeferson Santana and Deivi Jeremia Santana, who liked music. And I also loved music. Since that time, I started playing güiro1 every evening in order to become like my two brothers. Once it was six o’clock in the evening, I started with my güiro and my father, Braulito Santana, always bounced the güira in the other courtyard of the neighbor and I felt sad, but -in a matter of minutes- I went back and looked for the güira and started again to play and, again, my father took my güira… until he got tired and let me play.
Later on I got better at music and, when I was seven years old, my brother, because of whom I appreciated music, died in 2005… at twelve years old… and, at that moment, I decided to leave music. After the muertoio2 I decided to live with my grandmother and learn to be a strong child and accept reality. I had five friends, we were always together, always after school we went together to a campito (a small rural community), which was ugly, but it was fun because each of us enjoyed each other’s company. After we finished elementary school we had a big party (Miguel Alfonso, Ismael Santana, Ronny, Isaac and Ramón) in our ugly campito… and we had a lot of fun. When we entered high school they divided us into different classes, which we felt uncomfortable about because we were used to [being] together in the classroom.
One day I visited a church, which was large, and many people attended that place. Actually I was excited for everything I saw and, in a second, my joy stopped because I saw a tall, skinny young man who played an instrument that my brother liked very much.
The one who played the piano was very proud and embarrassed a young woman, which I liked and when I saw that spectacle, I don’t know what happened, the love of music returned within me. And, since that day, my heart was determined to play güiro, but also piano to help young people who have no musical knowledge. Mind you: I set out for that and, on the way, I would get disillusioned, but I always found a friend (Isaac) and he gave me hope to continue. With that hope, I started the piano course at the Academy of Monte Plata and, like everyone who loves music, I asked God a lot to help me learn and have a musical ear.
Well, along the journey, I was able to learn to play and I have taught many classmates to play. And I feel happy because I didn’t change the reason why I wanted to learn music again… which was to teach those who don’t have support.