Gonzalo Julio Gonzalez Fonseca is a Cuban-born musician. He was born May 27, 1963 in Havana. Rubalcaba is the son of a musically affluent family. Rubalcaba is the grandson and great-grandson of Cuban trombonist Jacobo Gonzalez Rubalcaba. He composed many famous danzones, including El cadete constitucional (Linda Mercedes) and Linda Mercedes (El cadete constitucional). His father Guillermo Rubalcaba was a pianist. His two brothers, William and Jesus, were both musicians. Gonzalo was raised in Cuban music and the jazz music of Oscar Peterson, Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk. Gonzalo began studying drums and piano early in his life. He began classical music studies at nine years old at the Manuel Saumell Conservatory. In his teens, he studied piano at the Amadeo Roldan Conservatory. Rubalcaba traveled to France and Africa with Orquesta Aragon in 1980. This dance group was founded by Orestes Aragon Kantero in late 1939. It continues to perform today. Rubalcaba received his degree in musical composition at the Institute of Fine Arts in Havana in 1983. He also formed Grupo Proyecto during this period, featuring some of the best Cuban musicians of his time, including Rafael Carrasco (flutist), Felipe Cabrera (bassist), and Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez (drummer). Rubalcaba recorded his first recordings for Cuba’s national recording company, Egrem in Havana in the early 1980s. Concierto Negro released several of these recordings, while Inicio released a number of solo piano performances. Grupo Proyecto’s international debut was made during a European tour that took place in 1985. The group performed at high-level events such as the North Sea Jazz Festival, Berlin Jazz Festival and the London jazz club Ronnie Scott’s. http://www.jazz.com
