Javier Massó

Javier Massó (Caramelo) is a brilliant Cuban musician: pianist, composer, arranger, percussionist and music producer, based in Madrid, Spain. Javier Massó "Caramelo" is praised by audiences in all the venues he frequents. He is considered one of the best pianists of Cuban jazz and cataloged by the international press as one of the best Latin jazz pianists in the world, capable of fusing any musical style, highlighting his forays into flamenco alongside artists of the caliber of Ramón "El Portugués", Niño Josele or Duquende.

Born in Havana, he studied elementary, intermediate and advanced levels of classical and Cuban piano, classical and Cuban percussion, composition, orchestration and direction of musical ensembles, at the provincial music school "Amadeo Roldán" and the ENA, - National School of Art - in Havana.

At just 15 years old, he was already being requested to play with the most important artists in Cuba, and at 17, he performed his first international tour.

In 1987, he recorded a live CD, one-on-one with his friend and renowned pianist, Gonzalo Rubalcaba in the program Mi salsa entre músicos, in Havana, which was released in Barcelona the following year.

The Spanish national newspaper El PAIS, and the specialized critics from UK Jazz Magazine place him as the creator of the best Jam Session in all of Europe at the mythical Café Berlín in Madrid between the years 2003 to 2005.
He is one of the most recognized pianists from Cuba today at a national and international level and has been recognized by the master Chucho Valdés as one of his favorites.

He has accompanied and recorded albums as a pianist for the best musicians of Spain and the world, with whom he has also shared the stage, among them:

JAZZ: Debora Carter, Angela Baker, Johnny Griffin, Lehman Freeman, Mark Ledford, Richie Cole, James Carter, Conrad Edwards, Giovanni Hidalgo, Paquito D'Rivera, Dave Valentin, Arturo Sandoval, Dave Lemon, Jerry González, Andy González, James Ginus, Horacio "El Negro" Hernández, Alex Acuña, Robby Ammen, Richie Flores, Jane Bunett, Luis Salinas, Phil Manzanera (ex Rosy), Antonio Serrano, Carlos Averhoff, Andrzej Olejniczak, Manuel Valera, Julio Barreto, Alex Acuña, Breace Wasy, Ximo Tebar, Carlos Carli, Bob Sands, Bobby Carcasses, John Benítez, Perico Sambeat, Javier Colina, Javier Malosetti, Michelangelo Chastan, Pedro Iturralde, Kiki Perdomo, Néstor Torres, Jayme Marques, Jorge Luis Valdés "Chicoy", Peruchín, Pedro Jústiz "Peruchín" JR., Pedro Luis Martinez, Afro Cuban Messengers, Quartet de Chucho Valdés among others.

Collaborations with other artists
CUBAN MUSIC: Celia Cruz, Omara Portuondo, Isaac Delgado, Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros, Estrellas de Chocolate, Israel López "Cachao", Tata Güines, Merceditas Valdés, Sergio Vitier, Guillermo Barreto, Conjunto Casino, Conjunto Chapotín, Orquesta la 4.40 from Cuba, Cuarteto Yo, Tu, Él y Ella, Grupo Galaxia, Grupo Mayohuacán, José Luis Cortés "El Tosco", José Luis Quintana "Changuito", Orlando del Valle "Maraca", Miguel "Angá" Díaz, El Guajiro Mirabal, Rolando Pérez, Javier Salvá, Manuel Machado, José Luis Cortés "El Tosco", Sergio Vitier, Alain Pérez, Cheo Feliciano, Jimmy Rivera, Demetrio Muñiz, Fernando Creah, Ibrahim Ferrer, among others.

FLAMENCO: Diego "El Cigala", Paco de Lucía, Enrique Morente, Estrella Morente, Concha Buika, Andrés Calamaro, Jorge Pardo, Rubem Dantas, Ramón "El Portugués", "La Tana", "El Guadiana", "Tomatito", "El Niño Josele", Juan José Suárez "El Paquete", Israel Suárez "El Piraña", Tino di Geraldo, Ramón Porrina, Juan Carmona (Guitar), Raimundo Amador, Josemi Carmona, Antonio Carmona, "El Potito", Montse Cortés, Camarón de Pitita, Duquende, Manuela Carrasco, Nono García, Pepe Habichuela, and others.

SINGERS: Fito Páez, Pedro Aznar, Luis Salinas, Ariel Rot, José Luis Perales, Calamaro, and others.

OPERA: Alina Sánchez and Linda Mirabal, prima donnas of the Cuban opera, Augusto Báez.

OTHER MUSIC: Victoria Abril, José Antonio Ramos, Mestizae, Gecko Turner, Kepa Junquera, Ángel Celada, among others.

JAZZ FESTIVALS AND CLUBS
He has participated in almost all the Jazz festivals and clubs in Spain and around the world, where he has shared stages with the greatest. His presence is noteworthy, among many others, in the following:

1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989 and 1990: Jazz Plaza Festival, Havana.
1990, Ronnie Scotts, London; Woman Morcame Festival.
1994, 1995, 1996, 1998 and 2011: Heineken International Jazz Festival & More, Canary Islands.
1995, Ingolstädter, Germany.
1998, Montreux Jazz Festival; Münchner Klavier Sommer.
1999, Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan. 2001, San Sebastián Jazz Festival.
2003, Lucena Jazz Festival. 2004, Mallorca, Jazz Sa Pobla.
2005, North Sea Jazz Festival with Jerry González and Los Piratas del Flamenco; Blues Festival, La Ciudadela; IX International Borjazz Festival. IX Spring Jazz Festival, Orense; Rioja Jazz.
2006, New Morning, Paris; Ávila Jazz; Jazz Festival, Strasbourg; performed with the Big Band FLAMENCOS ALL STAR, alongside Rubem Dantas and Jorge Pardo, in the tribute to Paco de Lucía and Camarón de la Isla in Barbate (Cádiz).
2008, Heineken Jazz Festival, Puerto Rico.
2009, Jazz Festival, Poland; Jazz Festival Martinique Islands; Jazz Festival, Istanbul (Turkey); Saint Louis Jazz Festival, Senegal.
2010, Jazz Festival, Barcelona.
2010 and 2011, Jazz Festival, Madrid.
2011, Escaray Jazz Festival, La Rioja.
2012, ClassJazz Festival, Madrid; Talavera Jazz Festival, Spain; Foix Jazz Festival, France; Chicago Jazz Festival; Detroit Jazz Festival; Highline Ballroom, New York; Mayne Stage Theater, Chicago; Ragatta Bar, Cambridge, Boston; Painted Bride Art Center, Philadelphia; Belgrade Jazz Festival, Serbia; Guadalajara Jazz Festival, Spain; Jazz Circle, Círculo de Bellas Artes, Madrid.
2013, "Pecera" Jazz Cycle, Círculo de Bellas Artes, Madrid; Kriol Jazz Festival, Cape Verde; International Jazz Day, Salle Zeydoun, Algiers; INNtöne Jazz Festival, Diersbach, Austria; AtoJazZ Festival, Sofia, Bulgaria; Hauser&Whird Gallery, Zürich; Gijón Jazz Festival; Lille Jazz Festival, France; Tour of Mexico and Colombia with Diego "El Cigala". October 29, Tribute to Bebo Valdés in Barcelona, personally invited by the master and friend, Chucho Valdés, to participate in the tribute held in memory of his father, as part of the Voll-Damm Jazz Festival in Barcelona. A concert in which the greatest figures of world Latin jazz participated and in which the great Chucho Valdés ceded his band, the Afro-Cuban Messengers, to accompany Javier Massó "Caramelo".
2014: Montmartre Jazzhus, Copenhagen; Campeche Jazz Festival (Mexico); AtojazZ Festival, Sofia, Bulgaria; Ajazzgo Festival, Cali, Colombia; Ajazzgo Bogotá, Colombia; Café Central, Madrid; Ceuta Jazz Festival; Boadilla del Monte Jazz Festival; Jazzhus Montmartre, Copenhagen.
2015: Jamboree, Barcelona; Montmartre JazzHus, Copenhagen; Formentera Jazz Festival; Opening of the 1st World Music Festival in Mexico City; JymmyGlass Valencia; San Javier, Murcia; Ronnie Scott's, London; Gran Teatro de la Ópera in Maracay, Venezuela (with Diego El Cigala); Orchard Hall in Tokyo, Japan (with Diego El Cigala).
2016: Jazz on the Med, Alicante; Querétaro Jazz Festival, Mexico.

National and international awards
Award for best arrangement of the year with Isaac Delgado's Orchestra. (1992)
Awarded with numerous national awards in piano and percussion. (1984)

Among the nominations and awards received throughout his career, the following stand out:

2004, nominated for Latin Grammy Awards with Jerry González and Los Piratas del Flamenco in the Best Latin Jazz Album category.
2005 and 2006, nominated for Latin Grammy Awards as Best Latin Jazz Pianist.
2005, nominated for Latin Grammy Awards with Los Piratas del Flamenco.
2006, Honor Mention UJR6 granted by the Rey Juan Carlos University to the best jazz artist of the year.
2009, selected among the best pianists in the world to participate in the International Jazzmen Piano Festival in Kraków, Poland.

He is the pianist on the album "Jerry González y El Comando de la Clave", released in Spain with the title "Avísale a mi contrario que aquí estoy yo", which has received the following nominations:

2011, nominated in Spain for the 2011 Music Awards in the Best Jazz Album category.
2012, nominated for the 2012 Latin Grammy Awards in the Best Latin Jazz Album category.
2012, nominated in the Latin Jazz Corner blog in the categories of Best Album, Best Bassist, Best Pianist, Best Drummer and Best Trumpet Player of Latin Jazz for 2011.
2012, voted Best Latin Jazz Album of 2011 by critics Ted Panken and Doug Ramsey in the annual DownBeat magazine polls.
2015, recognition from the Sindicato de Músicos de México as director of the group "FlamenCuba", for his excellent participation in the 1st World Music Festival.
Nominated for the Latin Grammy with A tribute to the Fort Apache Band, by Jerry González and Miguel Blanco Big Band. Various artists. Fort Apache tribute album.
Nominated for the Latin Grammy with A tribute to the Fort Apache Band, by Jerry González and Miguel Blanco Big Band. Various artists. Fort Apache tribute album.
Latin Grammy with Entre 20 aguas: Best Flamenco Album. Tribute album to the master Paco de Lucía. Various artists. Production J. Limón.