Biography
Leadership of the dynamic Grupo Afrocuba has transferred among exceptional instrumentalists who first served as rank-and-file members, much like handing along a sturdy sugarcane stalk. Saxophonist Nicolas Reinoso founded the ensemble in 1977 and introduced its core concept of fusing Cuban roots traditions with jazz and jazz fusion. The group’s official designation, Grupo Afrocuba de Matanzas, signals its founding location and places it alongside other Matanzas-based acts such as Los Munequitos de Matanzas. Reinoso assembled a three-piece saxophone section featuring brothers Carlos Acosta and Fernando Acosta, augmented by trumpet and an unconventional rhythm section in which two guitars sometimes supplied the bass line.
Pianist Ernan Lopez-Nussa later assumed direction from Reinoso, advancing from the rhythm section in a shift that also propelled percussionists Mario Luis Pino and Anselmo Febles into greater prominence. Subsequent personnel adjustments left untouched the ensemble’s growing stature, earned through international tours and national awards. Trumpeter Roberto García took the helm in the early 1990s, perhaps emboldened by his consistent command of the high notes demanded by the arrangements. Across every change in leadership, Grupo Afrocuba’s directors have maintained an unwavering focus on producing a combo sound as distinctive as a single DNA cell.
Pianist Ernan Lopez-Nussa later assumed direction from Reinoso, advancing from the rhythm section in a shift that also propelled percussionists Mario Luis Pino and Anselmo Febles into greater prominence. Subsequent personnel adjustments left untouched the ensemble’s growing stature, earned through international tours and national awards. Trumpeter Roberto García took the helm in the early 1990s, perhaps emboldened by his consistent command of the high notes demanded by the arrangements. Across every change in leadership, Grupo Afrocuba’s directors have maintained an unwavering focus on producing a combo sound as distinctive as a single DNA cell.
Albums
