Martín Rojas Torrente

Composer and guitarist. Prodigious Cuban guitarist who for several years accompanied the most important interpreters of Cuban song, such as the lady of feeling Omara Portuondo.

He was born in La Habana. He began studying music with Antonio Boix, his teacher of singing, music theory and harmony; between 1954 and 1956 he studied guitar with Isaac Nicola, and with Roberto de Moya, guitarist of Carlos Gardel, who taught him to play South American musical folklore and the melodic and harmonic structure of several of its genres. He was a student at the Varona Suárez School for the Blind.

He founded and directed in 1958 the Latin American music group Antares, in which he remained until 1964. He subsequently studied, from 1968 to 1970, orchestration and composition with Federico Smith. He was a bass player in Frank Domínguez's group and worked with a jazz trio at the Club Tikoa.

In 1962 he met Pablo Milanés, who at that time was concerned with revolutionizing song, although still within the filin style, but Martín was interested at that moment in mastering not only filin, but especially impressionist harmony; in this aspect Rafael Somavilla and Adolfo Guzmán had a great influence on him. Also during that time he met Silvio Rodríguez, Eduardo Ramos and Noel Nicola.

In 1965 he joined Los Astros, by Raúl Gómez, which played jazz; in 1966 he founded as director and guitarist, the Grupo Sonorama 6, made up of Rembert Egües, Carlos del Puerto, Changuito, Paquito D'Rivera and Enrique Plá.

From 1967 to 1970 he worked as guitarist for Omara Portuondo, with whom he participated in 1967 in technical training of the instrument and harmony with Juanito Márquez, who taught him to use the guitar as Martín does it and even considers that "Juanito Márquez's orchestra sounds like a big guitar."

Other influences that Martín has incorporated into his way of playing guitar are those of González-Rubiera and Sindo Garay. Among the composers that he considers have much to do with his training are Debussy, Ravel and Wagner, and he acknowledges having taken everything necessary to achieve a more refined art from creators such as:
Michel Legrand
Quincy Jones
André Previn
Johnny Mandel
Héctor Villa-Lobos
Ary Barroso
Antonio Jobim
Caetano Veloso
Chico Buarque de Hollanda
Arturo O'Farrill (Chico), Cuban composer, trumpet player and arranger whom he met in Finland.

In the 1990s, Martín accompanied Pablo Milanés and Malena Burke, with whom he performed tours in Venezuela. He currently resides in Miami.

Works
Songs and instrumental combinations.
Chile presente.
Cuento para un niño.
El desierto y la lluvia.
En la orilla del mundo.
Guitarra en son mayor.
Mi montuno son.
Mujer del mundo tercer.
Preludio por la soledad.
Romance de la alondra y el quetzal.
Samba "El Guerrillero".
Siempre es 26.
Tan breve que..., Verdades.