RESCUING the MUSIC and LEGACY of Afro Cuban child prodigy pianist and composer Lico Jiménez, the Ebony Liszt (1851-1917) through this documentary feature film currently in production.

Why now? So new generations hear about heroes who thrived, against very discouraging odds.

WHAT'S NEXT: FUNDING — Currently we are raising funds to film an interview with composer and Kennedy Center Award recipient Tania Leon in New York City. We are planning community salons and master classes of Lico's recently re-published CUBAN LIEDER. We need funds to edit the North American premiere of Estudio Sinfónico by LICO JIMÉNEZ and we will film in Bayreuth, Leipzig and Hamburg in March 2024.

WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP — Our crew has been working on this passion project without pay, we would be deeply grateful for financial assistance of any amount. Contributions are tax deductible through our fiscal sponsor Creative Visions.

WE ALSO SEEK: strategic partnerships, impact partners, media coverage and testimonials. Not only will you help launch a long lost piece of post romantic music history, you place this unsung talent on the stage of music legends where Afro Cubans are too often erased.

TESTIMONIAL: "I never understood why his name didn't appear at the level of other great names." Chucho Valdes - Grammy winner

ALREADY COMPLETED: SYMPHONY, SCORING, AND GALE FORCE WINDS! We filmed during a tropical storm in Trinidad de Cuba, classical bass Jonathan Ingram (Lico's great great grandson) and pianist Claudia Tamayo Bernal in front of Lico's living descendants and Johana Simon ( soprano) singing in the actual Palacio Cantero where Lico was first discovered at age 12. Grammy winner, Chucho Valdés (piano), who wrote Evocación a Lico, was interviewed in Madrid along with musicologists who define the value this documentary adds. The Florida Chamber Orchestra, North American premiere of Estudio Sinfónico was filmed and recorded on October 8th, 2023 at the Miami Dade Auditorium, conducted by Maestro Marlene Urbay. These visuals will be the opening and the climax of our documentary. We filmed the recording of Lico's recently published eight songs and three piano pieces in A Coruña, Spain with Teresa Novoa Freitas (soprano), Jessica Sánchez Rebollido (piano), Gabriel Urgell Reyes (piano) at Estudios Mans. We filmed composer Maria Newman (piano and violin) and Scott Hosfeld (viola) sight read and analyze Lico's scores.

Most of Lico's living relatives in Paris, Tours, Bretagne, Miami, Los Angeles, Oakland, Cienfuegos, Trinidad, Havana have been interviewed on film. Lico's living descendants, the holders of oral history, discover stunning consistency of musicianship running through the veins of eight generations.

When Lico died in 1917 he was Professor of Piano, Composition and Head of the International Program for Foreign Students and Sub Director of the Hamburg Conservatory of Music.

PRODUCER'S STATEMENT: THE MUSIC ENDURES: My passion is to tell this story about the enduring power of one man's music compositions that barely survived specific horrors of history. With the vision of our documentary film director, Isidro L. Betancourt Benítez, we celebrate the unsung accomplishments of an Afro Cuban post romantic musician and composer whose remarkable achievements, in spite of such formidable challenges, left a permanent stamp on European and Cuban music." Julie Carmen - actress and great granddaughter

Most of Lico's music compositions burned during Operation Gomorrah in World War II when Hamburg was bombed. But Isidro L. Betancourt Benítez spent years collecting whatever music scores survived, republished them for the first time in 120 years through music publisher Dos Acordes. Thanks to the expert cinematography, sound recording and editing of our producers Jaime Fernández Cuña and Mario Rodríguez Cuevas from Malditos Artistas, we are half way done with filming.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: A small donation will go a long way to helping us meet our goal for LICO JIMÉNEZ, THE EBONY LISZT documentary film. We plan to complete filming in the Spring of 2024 and begin our wide distribution phase in 2025. Please contact us if you have questions about our budget and if you would like to be included among our CIRCLE OF PHILANTHROPISTS with on screen credit for making a large donation. We would be honored to include you.

Deeply grateful,

Julie Carmen - www.LicoJimenez.com