Gonzalo Rubalcaba
Gonzalo Julio Gonzalez Fonseca was born in Havana, Cuba, May 27, 1963, into a musical family rich in the traditions of the country’s artistic past. During his childhood, in addition to the standard fare of elementary schools, Gonzalo was absorbing his Cuban musical heritage through personal contacts within his family, notably his father, pianist Guillermo Rubalcaba, and leading musicians who were frequent houseguests: Frank Emilio, Peruchin, Felipe Dulzaides and others. He also assimilated through scarce and treasured recordings the tunes and styles of 40’s-70’s US jazz masters: Thelonius Monk, Bud Powell, Oscar Peterson among pianists; and instrumentalists Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Art Blakey. Gonzalo loved drumming, and early in his career studied both piano and drums. He began his classical musical training at Manuel Saumell Conservatory at age 9, where he finally had to choose piano; he moved up to “middle-school” at Amadeo Roldan Conservatory, and finally earned his degree in music composition from Havana’s Institute of Fine Arts in l983. By that time he was already playing in clubs and music halls in Havana. With Orquesta Aragon he toured France and Africa in 1980. He introduced his own Grupo Projecto to the North Sea and Berlin Festivals in l985. In July 1990 he appeared as a surprise guest with Charlie Haden and Paul Motian at Montreux Festival, Switzerland, in a historic performance (available as the CD Discovery).
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Album Review
- Skyline by Jim Worsley
In Pictures
Album Review
- Viento Y Tiempo: Live at the Blue Note Tokyo by Angelo Leonardi
Live Review
Album Review
- Playing Lecuona by Maurizio Zerbo
Live Review
Album Review
- Volcan by Dan Bilawsky
- XXI Century by Mark Corroto
- Fe...Faith by Dan McClenaghan
May 27, 2013
Jazz Musician of the Day: Gonzalo Rubalcaba
April 17, 2012
Cuban Piano Virtuoso Gonzalo Rubalcaba Shines on Ambitious 2-CD Set,...
March 21, 2012
Harpist/Composer Edmar Castaneda Releases "Double Portion" Featuring...
February 21, 2012
Edmar Castaneda with Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Miguel Zenon CD Release...
July 20, 2011
Pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba's Intimate and Engaging Solo Album "Faith"
June 05, 2011
Gonzalo Rubalcaba -- Fe' ... Faith (2011)
May 12, 2011
Weekly Latin Jazz Video Fix: Gonzalo Rubalcaba
April 27, 2011
Gonzalo Rubalcaba Releases CD On His New 5 Passion Label
November 27, 2010
Gonzalo Rubalcaba Releases Long-Awaited Independent Album Entitled "Fé"
January 29, 2009
Gonzalo Rubalcaba: A Pianist Happy to Let Others Do the Driving
Brian Andres
drumsUli Geissendoerfer
pianoLuca Dell'Anna
pianoPeter Janson
guitar, acousticGabriel Chakarji
pianoAdrien Brandeis
pianoJonatan Piña Duluc
saxophone, tenorBoni de Souza
pianoPhotos
Albums
Bemba Colorá
From: Viento Y Tiempo: Live at the...By Gonzalo Rubalcaba