Knight Concert Hall
April 23, 2027 at 8:00 PM
Synopsis
Producer Juan de Marcos González created Afro-Cuban All Stars in mid-1990s Havana as a tribute to classic Cuban big-band music. The group's 1997 debut, A Toda Cuba le Gusta, features more than 50 musicians, some of whom also appear on the landmark Buena Vista Social Club album and in the Oscar-nominated 1999 documentary of the same name. González, in fact, is a major character in the Tony Award-winning Buena Vista Social Club musical, as are his onetime bandmates Rubén González and Ibrahim Ferrer. Under Gonzalez's leadership, Afro-Cuban All Stars continues to celebrate the roots of Cuban music while incorporating modern sounds and new musicians in a frequently changing lineup.
Price Range
$52.65 - $134.55
Price range includes all fees.
Run Time
TBD
Parental Guide
Ages 8+
Tickets
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Friday, April 23, 2027
8:00 PM
Currently Unavailable
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Juan de Marcos González
Artist Bio
Juan de Marcos González
Juan de Marcos González
Juan de Marcos González, born in the Pueblo Nuevo barrio of Havana to a musical family, is a Cuban producer, composer, bandleader and actor better known for his albums with Sierra Maestra, Afro-Cuban All Stars, the Buenavista Social Club series and the films VIVO, Mambo Man, Buenavista Social Club and Buenavista Social Club: Adios. His father, Marcos González Mauriz (d March 1990), was a vocalist and rumbero who performed with prominent bandleader Arsenio Rodríguez and other well-known orchestras of the forties and fifties. He studied popular and tres guitar at the Ignacio Cervantes Conservatory and with maestros Leopoldina Nunez and Vicente "Guyun" González. He later took courses on orchestral conduction and contemporary harmony at Goldsmith College, London. He has also a major and a PhD in Agricultural Sciences.
Growing up, González was a fan of American and British rock music before rediscovering his Cuban roots and establishing the first young "traditional" Cuban band, Sierra Maestra, in 1976. González's stated goal was to keep the torch of Cuban folk music alive for a younger generation.
González became a key member of the Buenavista Social Club under contract with Nick Gold of World Circuit Records. Using his knowledge and contacts in the Cuban music world, González created the required line-up, where many of the musicians were old friends of his dad. When Ry Cooder arrived in Havana for recording, González himself was working an "all stars" album tribute to the golden era greats of Cuban music, the Afro-Cuban All Stars, featuring many of the same musicians who comprise the Buena Vista Social Club. Subsequently, González led this band, The Afro-Cuban All Stars and Ruben Gonzalez’s ensemble on their first European and American tours, including the concerts at Le Carre (Amsterdam), Mexico’s Auditorio Nacional and Carnegie Hall.
Gonzalez's work has been nominated four times for the Grammys and won the first Womex Awards.
He speaks Russian, English and Spanish and has some knowledge of Afro-Cuban syncretic languages.
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