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Luis

Saxophonist/Composer/Educator

About Me

Luis graduated as an instrumentalist and saxophone teacher from the National Conservatory of Music in Havana, Amadeo Roldan.



He studied under the class of Carlos Averhoff. After completing his studies, Luis Nubiola was invited to go on stage by several distinguished Cuban jazz musicians including Jose Luis Cotes (El Tosco), José Miguel Credo (El Greco) and Díakara.



He joined the Cuban music group PG, under the direction of the renowned conductor and flutist José Luis Cortes (El Tosco), founder of the famous NG La Banda group and Top Secret.



In Cuba Luis Nubiola has also participated in several musical workshops and performed with Danilo Peres, Gonzalo Rubalcava, George Benson, Steve Coleman, Ralf Irizarry, and others.



In 2001, Luis Nubiola moved to Costa Rica where he became one of the finest and most famous musicians, working with such artists as Walter Flores (Grammy winner), Robert Aguilar and “Chocolate Band”. In December 2005, he recorded his first CD, a musical production entitled “Nubiola”.



In December 2008, Luis Nubiola produced “Live at Jazz Café”, the first Jazz DVD ever recorded in Costa Rica. This DVD is a live version of “Nubiola” for which that same year he was selected the winner of the ACAM award as “Composer of the Year in the Jazz Genre”. “914”, also awarded as Best Album of 2009, a double DVD/CD, the artist reveals the dimensions of his own musical evolution. The key to approaching Nubiola’s musical work is to understand his various manners of expression. As a performer, Nubiola's refined technique in his musical language consolidates his own ideas and expressiveness.



Currently Luis Nubiola lives in Europe where he has been working with musicians and friends like El Salsero with Michal Stawarski, Zbigniew Namysłowski, Paweł Kaczmarczyk, Grzegorz Grzyb, Michael Baranski, Włodek Pawlik.



With “Luis Nubiola Trio” and the album “Memories from the Baltic”, He is promoting his work and recording new material with three great musicians from Poland: Marcin Chenczke (bass), Mariusz Koszel and Frank Parker (drums).



With these young, highly talented artists, Luis Nubiola achieves a compelling fusion of his Cuban culture and the recognized tradition of Polish jazz, incorporating elements from the traditional folk music of both cultures.



The recording “O3”, is an international coalition with his friend Frank Parker (USA) and Marcin Checzke (Poland), once again forming a trio with special guests, Wojciech Olszewski and Krzysztof Dys (piano) and Marcin Mały Górny (pads).



Luis Nubiola Live at the Music Theatre in Lodz (feat. Jose Torres), five tunes with a special guest, the Cuban percussionist Jose Torres, who has lived in Poland for over thirty years. This material is part of a series of songs composed by Luis Nubiola during a four months visit to the Republic of Turkey. One of these tunes, “Aturk”, is dedicated to the father of the Turkish homeland, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.



Along with Jose Torres this material features great Polish musicians such as Wojciech Olszewski on piano, Krzysztof Szmańda drums and Marcin Chenczke double bass.



His new álbum, Global Friendship (Polskie Radio), together with the concert recorded live at the premier of the album, Live at the Blue Note, Poznan. Is an idea to unify compositions from great musicians and friends who has residence in such as different places as Cuba, Poland, Costa Rica, USA, Spain etc. This album has the participation of Krzysztof Szmanda drums, Marcin Chenczke bass, Krzysztof Dys piano, like in previous recordings, including this time as special guests the trombonist Michał Tomaszczyk and Ola Trzaska vocal.



Luis Nubiola had an important participation in the film „Cold War” ,film who won Cannes’ Best Director prize in 2018. „Cold War” obtained three nominations to the Oscar Awards in 2019 and won the most important awards in Europe the same year.





His latest albums „Ten Plagues” and „Live from the Jazz Cafe Costa Rica 2019”,are already available in all platforms. „Ten Plagues” is an album with open forms and with a very expressive interpretation, as guests Jacek Mazurkiewicz on bass, Krzysztof Szmanda drums and the percussionist Philip South from Australia.



The LP „Jazz Cafe Costa Rica 2019” is a vinyl LP, recorded live in San Jose Costa Rica, with well-known musicians such as Walter Flores piano, Nelson Segura bass and Gilberto Jarquin on drums. This album has influence from the Scandinavian music and there is a tune who is a version of a famous ballad from the well-known Polish pianist and composer, Krzysztof Komeda, and another composition dedicated to the Polish Jazz icon Tomasz Stańko.