Roberto Fonseca

Roberto Fonseca was born in City of Havana (Cuba) on the 29 of March of 1975 in a family of musical tradition. This young lady's man and talented pianista, composer, arreglista and professor of piano's inclination to music begun at age four with his interest in percussion instruments like the battery. At the age of eight years he begun to study piano in the school Guillermo Tomás where he graduates in the elementary level of basic piano. At age twelve he begun to be interested in pop music, afrocubana music and Jazz and at fourteen he did his first compositions of afrocuban jazz. Being still an adolescent he formed a group of pop music where he begun like battery. later, afro forms its group of music cubanjazz where he is director, composer, pianista and arreglista for the first time. With this group he participated in cultural events of his school and skillful classes of the teacher Chucho Valdés. From 1990 he begun to participate in the international festivales Jazz Seat of Havana as the pianista of the groups of the schools Amadeo Roldan and the National School of music (E.N.A) where finished his studies of piano, professor and music of set. Forming the group of Jazz Aries and Pure Agua. Its continuous eagerness of overcoming takes to him to study the art of composition in the Superior Institute of Arte (I.S.A). In 1995 he made the opening of the international festival of Jazz JAZZ SEAT 95 with the Pure group Water where the periodic Tribune described it as: (...) A concert of high quality by students of the E.N.A. (...) we wanted to emphasize the filling obtained by the Pure group Water of the E.N.A, in an ample phantom that includes funk, jazz fusion and the traditional one (standard), under the direction of < strong>Roberto Fonseca, with six musicians who obtain a orquestal impact (...) In 1997 founds next to the saxofonista Javier Zalba (ex- Iraquere) the group Temperament, where we found a great fusion of afrocubana music with different musical sorts, making concerts in the most important theaters of the capital with the influential figures but of the moment. In that same year we can emphasize its first record work When I am great, with singer AUGUSTO ENRIQUEZ, where Fonseca works like pianista, teclista, arreglista, musical and coproducing director of this CD, winner of the prize to the best CD of POP in one of editions of the fair of disc - CUBADISCO. In 1998 with the group TEMPERAMENT it records the CD In the winning Beginning of the prize to the best CD of JAZZ of fair CUBADISCO ' 99 made in Havana where it participates like producer, pianista, musical, arreglista director and composer. In 1999 it presents/displays its first CD in solitaire Has to do like composer, arreglista, musical and orquestador director accompanied by the band Temperament, and like producer next to Maria Helena Mendiola. Of this disc the work So that you do not speak is winning of the prize in the category of Cuban pop music in the Trimalca aid organized by UNESCO in March of the 2000. This same year its second work in solitaire sees the light Not limit, in which Jazz moves by the footpaths of the Afrocuban. Later it burdens the CD of Hip-Hop a pile of Things with the group Obsession, working in the project like producer, arreglista, musical, orquestador director and composer. Its prolífica musical race has taken to participate to him in numerous recordings with different national and international musicians and to make the music of the Black film of the artist Frances P.Maraval, but in all of them we found a denominator common: in its music Robert it develops its passion by the fusion by the afrocubanas roots with the other contemporary musical currents, always together with the Jazz; its complete musical formation allows him to interpret with professionalism the different sorts from universal music, feeling in its Interpretations the special presence and the flavor of Cuban music. 2001 Roberto Fonseca was without a doubt a good year for, since it sees the light his last record work (Elengó) and Integra the prestigious formation Ibrahim Ferrer and Orchestra, with that has turned everywhere doing but of 300 shows with the great Cuban singer and where it has been able to fulfill his dream to touch with the clay figures of the Cuban pop music: Rubén González, Omara Portuondo, Guajiro Mirabal, Cachaito Lopez. In 2002, Jazz also participates like guest of the tour of Europe of the great Cuban diva Omara Portuondo and of the Tokyo Festival being one of the most important figures acting next to Herbbie Hancock, Michael Brecker, Wayne Shorter among others. In the 2003 he continued turning with Ibrahim Ferrer promoting Good Tour Brothers visiting the U.S.A., Europe and Asia in more than 80 shows. Roberto Fonseca has been acclaimed so much by the public as by the critic in each concert and its Temperament I make the opening of the show of Ibrahim Ferrer in Europe 2003 in but the prestigious theaters like Frankfurt Alter Oper in Frankfurt, Palais de Congres in Paris or the famous Albert Hall in London with a great success. 2004, besides to cross with the teacher Ibrahim Ferrer many countries of East Europe, South America (Brazil, Argentina, Peru, etc...) Roberto Fonseca has begun another trip in its race, to prepare its new disc in solitaire after 4 years of silence and first after beginning in the Good project Social Vista Club. Of which he will be able Robert? 2005 will have the answer In the international critics is described to him like: Los Angeles Times- the USA the remarcable fluidity of Roberto Fonseca, accompanying Ibrahim Ferrer MADAME Figaro- FRANCE... in company by a great orchestra of sixteen musicians in whom emphasizes the pianista Roberto Fonseca. L.A. JAZZ Escene-uses the pianista Roberto Fonseca touches to the piano two instrumental subjects and accompanies to Ibrahim Ferrer in its performance. The touch of Fonseca is but modern, energetic and jazzístico BOSTON Glove- the USA also in the scene was......
translated from http://www.montuno.com/roberto_fonseca.html