Guillermo Rubalcaba

===BODY===
He is the director and founder of the legendary Charanga Rubalcaba. He is considered one of the best pianists in Cuba.

Guillermo is also a member of a renowned musical dynasty that includes his sons Jesús (piano) and Guillermo (bass), who play in his band, and jazz prodigy Gonzalo Rubalcaba.

The veteran pianist continues preserving the best traditions of Cuban popular music. Guillermo is currently a guest pianist at most of the Buena Vista Social Club live concerts and has also worked with Afro Cuban All Stars and Soneros De Verdad.

He has dedicated more than 50 years of his life to the creation and performance of the best Cuban music. While living in his native province of Pinar del Río, he toured to Monte Carlo with his brother in the jazz band, Ases del Ritmo.

In 1962, Guillermo Rubalcaba founded La Charanga Rubalcaba. The current band has not only preserved the original format of the charangas as they were in the 1930s, but has also maintained the style of representation and repertoire of the charangas. When speaking of the most notable charangueros, one immediately remembers the name of Guillermo Rubalcaba, one of the greatest charangueros of the last hundred years.

Guillermo Rubalcaba, a pianist of exceptional talent, combines elegant melodic expression with a sense of rhythm that has pure Cuban flavor. Maestro Rubalcaba possesses an impressive ability in musical improvisation that has made him famous, to the point that he has influenced most contemporary pianists working in dance bands.

From the Danzón to the cha cha chá, passing through the bolero, Rubalcaba, with his own creations as well as versions of other composers' works, keeps the soul of the Charanga intact and pure.

La Charanga Rubalcaba has excellent teamwork; the balance of sound based on excellent recording, and the musicians bring a serene, classical atmosphere to each of their interpretations or performances.

His father (Jacobo Rubalcaba) was a composer, arranger, orchestra director, and played several instruments. Almost the entire family was musical, his brother, his sister. His first steps were taught by his own father, composer of danzones such as El cadete constitucional, Linda Mercedes and Los pinareños, among others.

With his sister, who was a teacher, he received piano lessons, and then joined the Conservatory of María Teresa Alea. His father had a typical orchestra, and a violinist friend of his also gave him lessons. He liked all kinds of music and even had a knack: when his brother left the saxophone, he would pick it up and start playing. He practiced so much that he managed to play the instrument as a hobby.

He joined a teenage orchestra in Pinar del Río. There was a radio station through which all amateurs passed, and on it he accompanied artists like Pedrito Junco. He came to Havana and around the year 60 he started playing with Enrique Jorrín. He worked with him for a year in Africa, then went to Canada.

When Jorrín stopped the orchestra, musicologist Odilio Urfé offered him the chance to play with the Charanga Típica de Concierto. He started as pianist and in 1973, he was given the direction of the orchestra, which was called La Charanga Típica de Rubalcaba.

In 1987 he worked with Barbarito Diez in Veracruz, Mexico, and with him also traveled to Venezuela. He was in Colombia and in Seville, Spain, in the United States with Compay Segundo and Chucho Valdés with Irakere.

Since then he has brought Cuban music to many corners of the world, especially the danzón which he has cultivated persistently, as a composer and performer.

He taught music to all his children from a very young age, to Gonzalito; Jesús, who has since passed away; William, the oldest, who plays bass. Gonzalito was always very precocious, and today he is one of the greatest pianists in the world.

Guillermo Rubalcaba as yesterday, as tomorrow itself
https://www.granma.cu/cultura/2015-09-06/guillermo-rubalcaba-como-en-el-ayer-como-manana-mismo