Por JESIKA MILLANO
AL DIA TODAY
fortunate idea turned into an incredible 25-year long career for Roland Guilarte.
His first adventure was ‘The Record Hut, a record shop that opened in Rockledge in 1985.
It gave way to his vision of organizing jazz shows in Brevard, so people don’t always have to drive so far to enjoy them.
“It all began purely by accident”, said the Cuban refugee who came to the United States legally in 1967.
“We had seen through Ticketmaster that the jazz guitarist Ken Navarro was going to be performing in Orlando. My ex-wife suggested that I call him and see if he could put on a show here in Brevard,” Guilarte said. “I called Ken and he agreed to play for us on June 1, 1993 in Merritt Island. That is how my love for this business all began.”
Since then, ‘The Brevard Jazz Series’ was born thanks to the exponential growth of not only jazz performances, but also concerts of many other genres with The Brevard Music Group, Guilarte’s company which also engages in recruiting artists, preparing and implementing marketing plans, ticket sales, and sound and lighting production.
However, for Roland, the most satisfying part of this ‘dream come true’ is being able to serve children with disabilities. Every year he performs a concert in benefit of the foundations that help this population.
“This cause warms my heart, as I was born with mild cerebral palsy and I think that it is very important to raise awareness for children and adults that have physical challenges. We are normal people that enjoy our jobs and have relationships and hobbies, but we know that people may see us differently and so we can be easily misunderstood,” said Guilarte.
For this reason, Guilarte firmly believes in educating society about the children and adults with physical disabilities, as half the battle is just educating others.
“Offering a bright a positive future for those of us with special needs is very important,” he said.
Before dedicating himself to music, Roland Guilarte worked at an information business in Silver Spring.
His family, like many others from Cuba, abandoned their country to escape the communism and search for better opportunities in the United States.
“We moved to New Haven, Connecticut, and started a better life. I recently went back to Cuba. It is still a beautiful country and it is full of incredible and friendly people,” said Guilarte, who, along with his love for serving the community, is passionate about sailing.
As the owner of The Brevard Music Group, Guilarte continues to expand the musical and cultural horizons. he says that the goal is to improve the quality of entertainment in Brevard County.
“From hiring to marketing, as well as ticketing and production, Brevard Music Group has a firm foundation of as a source of entertainment,” he said proudly.
For more information, contact Roland Guilarte at 321-783-9004.
