Havana, Cuba – The Cuban Music Institute in Havana confirmed today that pianist Rubén González died in the Cuban capital. Details were not provided about his death. Funeral services were scheduled for Tuesday.
Rubén González was one of Cuba’s best pianists. He became very well known in the late 90s for his contribution to the Buena Vista Social Club phenomenon.
Rubén González was born in Santa Clara in April 1919. By the time he was fifteen, he had graduated as a pianist from the Cienfuegos Conservatory. He moved to Havana in 1941 and soon began to play with all the major orchestras: La Orquesta Paulina, Conjunto Camayo, Los Hermanos, Mongo Santamaría, etc. He later recorded with the legendary Arsenio Rodríguez.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.