Pedro Nolasco Jústiz Rodríguez

Pedro Nolasco Jústiz Rodríguez alias "PERUCHIN". This great figure of Cuban music began learning music with his mother in 1923, and later in 1928 he went to live with his grandfather, Emilio Rodriguez.

In 1933 he moved to Santiago de Cuba, where he began his artistic career with the "Orquesta de Chepin".

He later moved to La Habana, and joined the Orquesta Casino de la Playa, then worked with the "Swing Boys", with whom he traveled to Panama and there joined Carlos Boza's orchestra; later, he was pianist of the Conjunto Matamoros and the orchestras of Armando Romeu in 1940; Mariano Mercerón in 1941; Benny Moré and in 1950, the Riverside.

He subsequently formed his own group with which he worked at the Cabaret Tropicana.

Peruchín formed a trio with bass player Limonta and drummer Castiñeira; he also worked with bass player Orlando López and drummer Tibo Lee.

At the Club Cubano de Jazz he joined a group with bass players Papito Hernandez and Israel López; drummers Walfredito de los Reyes and Guillermo Barreto, and Tata Güines on the tumbadora.

In the 1960s he formed a group with Tibo Lee on drums, Armandito Zequeira on bass, and Regino Tellechea as vocalist. He shared, with Frank Emilio, the duties of pianist for "Los Amigos".

He was also pianist for singer Merceditas Valdes with Jesús Pérez on the batá drums. On the other hand, he was a member of the "Cuban All Stars de Justico Antobal".

His piano solos were very popular and admired, and were recorded on records. He also enjoyed great prestige as an arranger and orchestrator, work he carried out in many of the groups in which he worked, and especially in the orchestra of Benny Moré. His son, of the same name, is a notable guitarist and conductor.

Bolero
What a Mistake
Your Truth
A Song for You
Cha-cha-cha
Cha-cha-cha with Mambo
Guajira
Melodic Guajira
Mambo
Mambo in Diminuendo
Son
Hey, Colored Mamey
Spain in Flames
Cashew Seed

Among his outstanding compositions are:
"Qué equivocación" (bolero)
"Mamey Colorao" (mambo)
"Dime, mi cielo"
"Guajira melódica"
"Changüí oriental"
"Guajira in minor"
"Melodía oriental" (mambo)
"Peruchineando" (descarga)
"Tere y Janet" (bolero-mambo) and others

Peruchinear (Cubanism. from Latin vulg. Peruchin, 'to juggle with the keys of a piano. To overflow notes in a measure breaking the melodic motif from short variations and improvisational citations') Verb. Transitive and irregular conjugated based on tumbaos (See: Monk, Thelonious; Tyner, McCoy).

Introduced into the musical speech of Cuba by Pedro Nolasco Justiz Rodríguez, pianist of Chepín Chovén, Casino de la Playa, Orquesta Riverside and the Banda Gigante del Beny in the 50s and 60s.

Verb conjugated in different modes by outstanding disciples (Camilo, Michel; Salvador, Emiliano; Valdés, Jesús; Palmieri, Eddie; Valdés, Lázaro; Lucca, Papo; Chavarría, Paquito; Mauleón, Rebeca). Latin jazz, the Cuban descarga, Cuban son, salsa and timba owe much to this word.

Some directors of musical groups demand that their pianist perform peruchineando (gerund, present continuous, of the aforementioned verb) in the montuno or mambo. In this particular use of the gerund, moments of great rhythmic/harmonic exaltation are achieved (consult some concerts by Camilo, Michel or by Palmieri, Eddie).