Rubén González (pianist)

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

Life and work

He was trained at the Conservatory of Cienfuegos and began to study medicine. 1941 forced him money problems for abandoning his studies, and he resumed the career as a pianist in attack, but not in the classical disciplines, but with traditional Cuban folklore. In 1943 he played with Arsenio Rodríguez, a his first record. He soon became known beyond the borders of Cuba also in Latin America.

After he had actually already finished his career in the 1980s, he succeeded in 1997, produced by Ry Cooder album " Buena Vista Social Club" and the same name, published in 1999 documentary film by Wim Wenders a comeback that it also in Europe and the United States made ​​her a celebrity. Together with Ry Cooder, Compay Segundo, Ibrahim Ferrer, Eliades Ochoa, Omara Portuondo and González entered the world still several times. His last concerts he gave in 2002 in Mexico and Cuba. After him his arthritis and lung and kidney problems forced finally to the end of your career. After a long confinement to bed González died on 8 December 2003 in Havana.

Discography

( incomplete)

Studio albums

Weblink

• Obituary at BBC News