BMI Celebrates the Release of Puerto Rican Masterpiece ‘Cofresí’

Cofresí, the operetta by renowned Broadcast Music, Inc. composer Rafael Hernández that immortalizes the renowned Puerto Rican pirate, has been released internationally in album format to wide acclaim. Sponsored by the Universidad Interamericana of Puerto Rico and produced by peermusic, the CD is the result of an extensive reconstruction of one of the masterpieces of Latin music that was thought to be lost. The process took two years of labor-intensive work and features 18 tracks of beautiful arias, duets, interludes, serenades, habaneras and couplets, with lyrics adapted by Pablo Cabrera from the original work of Gustavo Pales Matos. The CD was mastered by renowned classical engineer Michael Bishop and includes artwork by Puerto Rican artist Antonio Martorell. Cofresí was recorded at the Centro de Bellas Artes in San Juan and is the first commercial recording of the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Roselín Pabón. The tenor Rafael Dávila plays the title role, accompanied by soprano Elaine Ortiz Arandes (Amparo), baritone Guido Lebrón (The Governor), the mezzo Ilca López (Gabriela), actor Gil René Rodríguez (El Dominicano) and a choir of 40 voices led by Dr. William Rivera. With a cultural recognition awarded by the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), this restoration of Cofresí is history in the making.