Guillermo Rubalcaba

Guillermo Rubalcaba (January 10, 1927 – September 7, 2015) was a Cuban pianist, bandleader, composer and orchestrator specialising in danzón and cha-cha-cha music genres.

Born as Guillermo González Camejo in the town of Pinar del Río, as the son of Jacobo González Rubalcaba he adopted his father's maternal name for professional purposes. In the same way, Guillermo Rubalcaba was the father of the Latin jazz pianist who has adopted the name Gonzalo Rubalcaba.

Life and career

Early years Rubalcaba received formal musical training from his father, Jacobo Rubalcaba, a talented multi-instrumentalist and also one of the first charanga bandleaders to spread the danzón in the western region of Cuba. Likewise, his father composed the legendary danzón El Cadete Constitucional, At age 15 he became the violinist in the Ases del Ritmo orchestra, later playing in the CMQ radio orchestra and in Ñico Suárez's band. On saxophone he performed in the Montecarlo orchestra and as part of Los Churumbeles. Rubalcaba became the pianist and later the conductor of the ensemble, which in 1973 became known as the Charanga Rubalcaba.

Later years and death In the 1990s, Rubalcaba became a member of several touring groups of veteran musicians who emerged in the wake of the success of the Buena Vista Social Club and Afro-Cuban All Stars groups. In between, he collaborated with Jane Bunnett in her recording project Cuban Odyssey (2002).

Latterly, Rubalcaba ran and directed his orchestra named after him, in which he was also the pianist. Rubalcaba's career more than that of any danzonero has lived the period of early revolutionary effervescence, lethargy, and slow revival in recent times. and was buried at the Cristóbal Colón Cemetery. Fundadores del Sabor (Discmedi S.A. – DM-210, 1995) Por eso yo soy cubano (Eurotropical Muxxic – EUCD-10, 1998) El Danzón de la Reina Isabel (Eurotropical – EUCD-901526, 2000) A corazón abierto (Eurotropical – Muxxic 8431588-909225, 2002). Entre dos generaciones (Envidia Records – ER-7080, 2003) Pasado Y Presente (Pimienta Records, 2003) Con sello de calidad (Envidia – ER-7116, 2004)