RAFA GARCES

jazzer — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:29:54 +0000

One of the most versatile artists of the cast of Cuban jazz in Spain is perhaps Rafa Garcés. Born in Havana (Cuba), son of a classical piano teacher, with his brother, began his training at an early age. He studied at the National Conservatory of Havana (Cuba), receiving teacher training as known as Rolando Ochoa and Carlos Averoff the group Irakere, which received its first notions of Jazz. At age 17, wins 1st Prize at the Amadeo Roldan (Havana). Later, it is requested to join the Jazz band IREM, with participating in three editions of the International Jazz Plaza Festival in Havana, organized by Arturo Sandoval, which coincides with famous bands like Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Chucho Valdes Dave Valentin and Dizzy Gillespie among others. Later, he accompanied the international Maggie Carles, participate in the Festival International de Jazz de La Habana, 1991, as well as artistic tours in Ecuador and North Korea.

In 1992, joins the band of singer more representative of the Cuban Feiling, Omara Portuondo, where just doing the work of pianist, conductor and arranger, participating in many tours throughout Cuba, Portugal and Spain. It is in this last tour where he decided to end its contract with the artist estableciéndote definitely in Spain. Since then he has participated in direct and recordings of many artists of the Spanish musical scene, which include, Group Alameda (20th Anniversary), Pedro Ricardo Miño: Piano with Duende Flamenco Biennial in 2004 in Concerts Nights of the Alcazar Palace in a show himself, which he called “Cubania” in the Convention MasterClass Adagio SA., MasterClass at the Conservatoire de Reus (Tarragona), and a long etc..

He has also done several projects of their own jazz and traditional Cuban music. The first, “Mestizo Latin Jazz”, with whom he recorded a demo entitled “Mestizaje” involving musicians like Jose Luis Chacon, Pablo Zapata and Rosa Domínguez. Then, along with bassist Paul Zapata began which has perhaps been the project more pampered by the musician, the group: “Aboriginal Cuban Quartet”, passed by the musicians as Victor Perez, Jimmy Gonzalez, Carlos Gonzalez, Reija Xavi, Dani Galiano, Alex Romero, José Manuel Posadas “Popo”, Alex Mendoza etc … With this project were carried out different actions such as participating in the Lakes Jazz Festival in Portugal in Jazz clubs such as Chubby Cheek (Jaén), Central (Utrera), etc … at the Festival of Contemporary Music at the University Internacional de Andalucía, Jazz Festival in the province of Seville, 23rd Festival International de Jazz de Granada, which won for best group Andaluz, etc..

The development of the work, experience, and access to public needs Spanish jazz has transformed the original idea of Aboriginal Cuban Quartet, the project that successfully crosses the country today: The “Rafa Garcés & Aboriginal Cuban Jazz “. He currently has a jazz school in Seville (Spain), alternating between his artistic life to training, in addition to having taught at other places such as master classes taught at the conservatory in Reus (Tarragona) and other locations.

Jazz And Roots » Spanish jazz

RAFA GARCES