Cuban Singer Silvio Rodriguez Dazzles at the Gibson Amphitheatre

Silvio Rodriguez, the great Cuban singer-songwriter who performed a dazzling set Thursday night at the Gibson Amphitheatre, has the type of lyrical and melodic gifts that transcend ideology, even the bitter Cold War-era rhetoric of U.S.-Cuba relations.

His sublime and prolific artistry has endeared Rodriguez to generations throughout Latin America and the world. It's earned him respect even from some of those who disagree vehemently with his ardent, lifelong support for Fidel Castro.

An adolescent at the time of the Cuban revolution, Rodriguez, 63, has served in his nation's parliament and been an emissary for the so-called “nueva trova Cubana" or “new Cuban balladry" movement that took shape in the 1960s, earning him a reputation as a kind of Caribbean Pete Seeger or Bob Dylan.

On songs such as “Ojal," “Mariposa" and “Cita con angeles," Rodriguez filters a wide array of introspective emotions through his companionable, high-lonesome tenor. The best of his songwriting seamlessly weaves together graceful melodies and metaphors on one song he describes a butterfly as a “silent dancer," on another he addresses an old pair of shoes into thoughtful elegies and expressions of yearning, regret and hope.

On past North American outings, Rodriguez has brought large ensembles that included horn sections and batteries of percussionists and synthesizers. At the Gibson, he turned up only with his guitar, accompanied by a flutist, a drummer and three excellent acoustic string players on a generous set that included multiple encores.