The beginnings
The Italian photographer Elio Miniello Pece was born on March 17, 1966, in Ripalimosani, in the italian region of Molise. When he was 18, he discovered in the photography the tool that would allow him to capture all that artistic influences that he perceived.
In 1987 he bought his first camera, with which he made his debut. Ten years later he travels to Cuba and remains fascinated by the atmosphere of its streets and the rhythm of Cuban music. The contact with the island revived his passion for photography. The artist recognizes that the exchange with the colleagues Sahily Borrero, Elio Delgado and Ismael Almeida magnified his photographic vision in the Greater Antilles. During four years we shared different working locations, which allowed me to appreciate his true passion, in which he concentrates all his energy, behind the so-called “precious moment” that every photographer is looking for. What is truly admirable is that Miniello, with his self-training, has achieved a work where he richly exposes his artistic-cultural perspective of the Island.
The passion
His passion for jazz, focused him on capturing the histrionic gestures of musicians, achieving beautiful and impressive images of the Cuban music scene; a work with which he collects a wide collection of black and white and color photos that consolidate him, by far, as an artist of the lens. This relevant mix of passion and talent for the genre, made him the author who illustrates, with his photos, the current representatives of the Cuban jazz, in the lobby of the Theater of the Museum of Fine Arts in Havana.
The challenge
Four years ago, my colleague and friend took on the difficult challenge of taking theater photography, a discipline totally unknown until then and that few manage to do with his quality, but his dedication and courage resolved his inexperience in the complex language of the performing arts. With this short introduction, I invite you to follow and enjoy his photographic journey, where you will learn about the work done in the streets of Havana; passing through the plastic arts, dance, theater festivals and the worldwide famous International Ballet Festival, where one can certainly appreciate his significant interest in capturing the essence of the Cuban culture.