Manuel "Guajiro" Mirabal
Luis Manuel Mirabal Vázquez ( born May 5, 1933, Melena del Sur, Cuba), also known as " El Guajiro " is a Cuban trumpeter.
He gained worldwide fame through the album " Buena Vista Social Club", which was produced by the American guitarist Ry Cooder, as well as by the eponymous film by Wim Wenders.
Biography
Mirabal was born on 5 May 1933, the village of Melena del Sur in today's Cuban province Mayabeque. Since his father was head of the local music band, he got as a child access to the music. He gained Music abilities by his father and by his sister, who he watched in the learning of singing and piano. Curious, he tried to play with the band instruments, including clarinet and saxophone. At the age of eleven, he chose the trumpet. He learned very quickly, so Mirabal played at the age of 18 years in the band " Conjunto Universal" that occurred in smaller towns near Havana. Since 1953 he worked in the jazz band "Swing Casino", which was one of the many bands at that time, the North American Music devoted themselves, when Cuba was a popular residence of many wealthy Americans.
In the constant search for changes founded Mirabal 1956, the band " Conjunto Rumbavana ", with which he appeared with a kind of Cuban son music and the musical styles of guarachas and of Mambo in many night clubs, casinos and carnival events beyond Cuba. Through the participation of the singer Lino Borges and Raúl Planas, the band was successful fast so that " Conjunto Rumbavana " Finally, one of the largest Cuban music groups. Mirabal left the band in 1960 just before their second international tour, to join the prestigious " Riverside Orchestra" of the Tropicana Cabaret.
In 1967 he began as a founding member of the " Orquesta Cubana de Música Moderna " another musical project, to which he belonged for 23 years. Under the direction of saxophonist Armando Romeu, the group many Cuban personalities of jazz as Guillermo Barreto ( percussionist ), Arturo Sandoval helped (trumpet ), Paquito D' Rivera (saxophone), Juan- Pablo Torres (trombone ), and pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Chucho the Valdés to success. The " Orquesta Cubana de Música Moderna " Association successful elements of classic Cuban music with new ideas, so that the music of the group established particularly as film music in Cuban cinema in the period of the late 1960s to the mid -1970s.
During this time Mirabal also toured independently of his band with the musicians Oscar D' León and José Feliciano. In 1973 he returned to the " Tropicana", whose music group then headed by Demetrio Muñiz. The next 30 years he remained the orchestra of the " Tropicana" get where he was once involved as a founding member. After many busy international tours to Mirabal in 2003 withdrew from the music.
Participation in the project Buena Vista Social Club
Mirabal was one of the Cuban musicians who participated in the project in 1996 "Buena Vista Social Club" the American guitarist Ry Cooder. His published after the project solo records, he published under the name "Buena Vista Social Club presents ... ", including the album " Buena Vista Social Club Presents Manuel Guajiro Mirabal ", which he recorded in honor of Cuban music legend Arsenio Rodríguez.
During his long period as an active musician, he worked with the greatest Cuban musicians such Ibrahim Ferrer, Omara Portuondo, Rubén González, and Compay Segundo.