Rubén González Fontanills

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Rubén González Fontanills (born May 26, 1919 in Santa Clara , Cuba , † December 8, 2003 in Havana ) was a Cuban pianist . González is considered the most important pianist of the Cuban musical style Son and a legend of Cuban music .

Live and act

He was trained at the Conservatory in Cienfuegos and began to study medicine. In 1941 financial problems forced him to drop out of his studies and he took up the pianist career again, albeit not in the classical subject, but with traditional Cuban folklore. In 1943 he played his first record with Arsenio Rodríguez . Soon he became known beyond the borders of Cuba in Latin America.

After he had actually already completed in the 1980s, his career, he succeeded in 1997, produced by Ry Cooder album " Buena Vista Social Club " and the same name , in 1999 appeared documentary by Wim Wenders , a comeback that made him even in Europe and made the United States a celebrity. Together with Ry Cooder , Compay Segundo , Ibrahim Ferrer , Eliades Ochoa and Omara Portuondo , González performed several times around the world. He gave his last concerts in Mexico and Cuba in 2002. After that, his osteoarthritis as well as lung and kidney problems finally forced him to end his career. González died on December 8, 2003 in Havana after being bedridden for a long time.

Discography

Studio albums

year title Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements
(Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) 		Remarks
DE DE AT AT CH CH UK UK US US
1997 Introducing ... Rubén González DE68 (6 weeks)
DE 		- CH-
gold
gold
CH 		UK-
silver
silver
UK 		-
First published: September 16, 1997
2000 Chanchullo DE71 (3 weeks)
DE 		AT49 (1 week)
AT 		CH28 (7 weeks)
CH 		- -
First published: September 19, 2000

more publishments

  • 1955/56: Orquesta América del 55 (participation)
  • 1964: Jazz Cuba
  • 1975: Rubén González
  • 1975: Recordings with the orchestra of Enrique Jorrín
  • 1975: Indestructible (with the rhythm section of Orquesta Enrique Jorrín)
  • 1978: Estrellas de Areito (participation)
  • 1979: Los heroes
  • 1997: A Toda Cuba Le Gusta - The Afro-Cuban All Stars (participation)
  • 1997: Buena Vista Social Club (participation)
  • 1999: Indestructible
  • 1999: Son Inconcluso
  • 2000: Sentimiento
  • 2000: Rubén González and Friends
  • 2000: Dos Grandes Con la Orq. Jorrin (Ruben & Raul Planas González)
  • 2004: Todo sentimiento
  • 2006: The Essential
  • 2009: Suena el piano Rubén (sampler)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Rubén González, el hombre del piano ( Memento of the original from February 14, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bolpress.com
  2. ↑ Chart sources: DE AT CH
  3. ↑ Awards for Music Sales: CH UK
personal data
SURNAME González Fontanills, Rubén
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Cuban pianist
DATE OF BIRTH May 26, 1919
PLACE OF BIRTH Santa Clara (Cuba)
DATE OF DEATH December 8, 2003
Place of death Havana