A COUPLE of years ago the Black Box Theatre hosted a concert of Cuban music to raise funds for an initiative An Spidéal based piano tuner Ciaran Ryan was developing in Cuba.
What happened next is told in 88 Strings Attached, a film documentary which follows Ryan and his team to Havana, where they meet with musicians, tuners, teachers, students, composers, and the legendary jazz pianist Chucho Valdes.
The film looks at the difficulties faced by those involved in the music profession. The heat, climate, and the termites all play havoc with instruments, as does the continuing US trade embargo which makes it impossible to obtain strings, hammers, and the other spare parts required to keep pianos in good working order.
Ryan was inspired by this, as well as the enthusiasm of a small group of young tuners whom he met in Cuba, to set up Una Corda - The Ireland/Cuba Piano Project. The organisation aims to train and equip student tuners, and is steadily gathering momentum as a dedicated charity.
See www.galwayfilmfleadh.com for the date this film will be screened. To learn more about Una Corda see www.unacorda.org
