Song:Como Siento Yo
Album:Introducing
Cuban pianist Ruben Gonzalez had retired from a long career in music when he recorded his first solo album in 1997 at age 78 thanks to Ry Cooder and The Buena Vista Social Club. He was born May 26, 1919 in Encrucijada, Cuba. He briefly attended medical school after graduating from the Cienfuegos Conservatoire in 1934 but left school to move to Havana and become a full time musician in 1941. After recording with Arsenio Rodriguez and Orquestra de los Hermanos, Gonzalez moved to Panama and then worked with tango musicians in Argentina. He moved back to Havana in the 60s and is probably best known in Cuba for his many years with Enrique Jorrin's band, the creator of the cha cha. He took over the band when Jorrin died in 1987 but then Gonzalez retired from music due to arthritis in his hands. When Ry Cooder was looking into Cuban music in 1996, he had heard that Gonzalez was unable to play piano because of arthritis. Cooder insisted on meeting him anyway and Gonzalez could still play. He just didn't own a piano. So Ruben Gonzalez was a big part of the 1998 documentary The Buena Vista Social Club and this 1997 album was released on World Circuit/Nonesuch Records. This and the 2000 CD Chanchullo exposed Gonzalez to a much larger audience. Ruben Gonzalez died on Dec. 8, 2003 at age 84. Check out this clip of Ruben Gonzalez with Ry Cooder from The Buena Vista Social Club.
No comments:
Post a Comment