Grandfather's Tapes Resonate Decades Later

Richard Cortez, 41, is sharing his grandfather Abe's rediscovered cassette tapes, which have garnered significant attention online. Cortez initially received three tapes of stories and advice from his estranged grandfather between 2003 and 2004, shortly before moving to New York City.

Despite a distant relationship, Cortez's grandfather sought to reconnect by offering guidance. Abe, who grew up in New York in the early 1900s and had limited formal education, found speaking into a cassette recorder a more natural way to communicate his thoughts and wisdom.

Cortez kept the tapes stored away for 23 years, only rediscovering them after purchasing a cassette digitizer. He began weaving Abe's voice into his music, leading to the creation of his four-part project, 'A Song for All Seasons.'

The project, which includes recordings from his parents' wedding, explores themes of time, change, life, and death. Abe's reflections appear throughout, offering a message of acceptance. A snippet of Abe's tape shared online in July 2026 has since amassed 3.5 million views.

This widespread reception has transformed Cortez's relationship with his grandfather's memory. He now sees Abe as a guiding presence, whose words of encouragement are available to anyone who needs to hear them, effectively becoming 'the world's grandfather.' The third installment of the project, 'iii. fall,' is slated for release on November 6, 2026.