Biography
Born on 5 May 1933 in Melena del Sur, Havana, Cuba, Luis Mañuel Mirabal Vazquez grew up under the influence of his father, who served as musical director for a municipal band. During childhood he experimented with several instruments before settling on the trumpet at age eleven. By his late teens he had developed enough proficiency to perform regularly in Havana with Conjunto Universal, whose repertoire centered on traditional Cuban styles. At the same time he explored American jazz alongside Swing Casino and broadened his range with the international selections featured by Orquesta Casino Parisien.
In the middle of the 1950s he established Conjunto Rumbavana, his own ensemble, which quickly gained considerable popularity. He entered the Riverside Orchestra at the Tropicana Club in 1960, where vocalist Tito Gómez bestowed upon him the nickname “el guajiro,” a term that translates roughly as “country bumpkin.”
Toward the close of the 1960s Mirabal helped found the Orquesta Cubana De Música Moderna under the direction of saxophonist Armando Romeu. Over subsequent years the orchestra also featured Paquito D’Rivera, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Arturo Sandoval, and Chucho Valdés. Although he stayed with the group for twenty-five years, he simultaneously took part in additional ensembles, frequently backing prominent performers such as José Feliciano.
Stationed at the Tropicana, Mirabal maintained a steady schedule of performances that extended through the following decades and into the early 2000s. During this period he also appeared with Estrellas De Areito, recording several albums for the World Circuit label, and served in the ceremonial band of the National Revolutionary Militia. In the late 1990s his contributions alongside fellow members of the Buena Vista Social Club drew widespread notice. Early in the new century he joined an all-star touring unit that included Manuel Galbán, Orlando “Cachaíto” López, and Aguajé Ramos, and he finally released his debut album after decades of respected yet largely uncredited sideman work. In addition to performing, Mirabal has worked as a teacher.
In the middle of the 1950s he established Conjunto Rumbavana, his own ensemble, which quickly gained considerable popularity. He entered the Riverside Orchestra at the Tropicana Club in 1960, where vocalist Tito Gómez bestowed upon him the nickname “el guajiro,” a term that translates roughly as “country bumpkin.”
Toward the close of the 1960s Mirabal helped found the Orquesta Cubana De Música Moderna under the direction of saxophonist Armando Romeu. Over subsequent years the orchestra also featured Paquito D’Rivera, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Arturo Sandoval, and Chucho Valdés. Although he stayed with the group for twenty-five years, he simultaneously took part in additional ensembles, frequently backing prominent performers such as José Feliciano.
Stationed at the Tropicana, Mirabal maintained a steady schedule of performances that extended through the following decades and into the early 2000s. During this period he also appeared with Estrellas De Areito, recording several albums for the World Circuit label, and served in the ceremonial band of the National Revolutionary Militia. In the late 1990s his contributions alongside fellow members of the Buena Vista Social Club drew widespread notice. Early in the new century he joined an all-star touring unit that included Manuel Galbán, Orlando “Cachaíto” López, and Aguajé Ramos, and he finally released his debut album after decades of respected yet largely uncredited sideman work. In addition to performing, Mirabal has worked as a teacher.
Albums
