Rubem Dantas was born into a musical family in Salvador de Bahia. His earliest exposure to music was studying piano with his mother. His interest soon turned to percussion and his journey took him on a path that would have him mentioned in the same breath as all the great maestros. It was with Vahindo do Gantois, whom Rubem considers his master, where it all began, playing some of the most important festivals in Brazil.
In 1977 his move to Madrid afforded him the opportunity to play with other wonderful musicians and be in the middle of the growing new flamenco movement. Pedro Ruy Blas invited Rubem to join the group, Dolores, and it was in that group where he met Jesus Pardo, Alaro Yebenes and Jorge Pardo.
During this time he crossed paths with guitar legend, Paco de Lucia. The two formed what was one of the most influential and innovative new flamenco bands in the world. They toured extensively with Carles Benavent, Ramon de Algeciras, Joaquin Grilo, Duquende, Jorge Pardo and Jose Bandera. While in Peru, Rubem discovered the native percussion instrument, the cajon. He felt it could add a new dimension to the already pioneering flamenco sound he was helping create.
Rubem Dantas is one of the most in-demand musicians anywhere and his credits seem endless, recording or performing with artists like Vince Mendoza, Gilberto Gil, Paquito D’Rivera and Chick Corea and Touchstone. He currently lives in Granada, Spain.
Discography:
Festejo (Rubem Dantas Productions, 2007)
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.
