Guillermo CÈspedes
"...Guillermo
CÈspedes on keyboards solo(s)with depth and precision,
while innovative arrangements...turn classic material
contemporary..."
Larry Birnbaum, Pulse
Guillermo CÈspedes, MS- Musical Director for Conjunto CÈspedes, multi-instrumentalist (piano, six string guitar, Cuban tres guitar, Latin bass, percussion), composer, arranger, educator.
I was born in Havana Cuba on 9-7-50, into a very large and very musical extended family. Although we were very poor, I had the luxury of attending school in Havana, and spending my school vacations with relatives in the Santa Clara province. This gave me exposure to the urban musical scene of Havana, as well as the rural campesino music of Santa Clara. My father's brothers and sisters were knowledgeable and active in performing the various forms of Afro Cuban folkloric and religious music and dance. While my mother's relatives had a "septeto tipico" that played traditional sones at regional dances around the Santa Clara province area. I was breast fed on the popular music of that era, such as Trio Matamoros, Benny More, Felix Chapotin, and Orquesta AragÛn. At age seven I studied violin briefly, and taught myself a few chords on guitar, while watching the sugar cane workers in Santa Clara, as they played "Punto Guajiro".
In 1963 I came to the United States without my parents, as part of the Peter Pan Operation. After a two month stint at Florida City, I moved to Jamaica Plain, Boston, where I became addicted to the music of Frankie Lymon, Sam Cooke, and all of the emerging Motown sounds of that period. In 1965 I moved to New York City, and was introduced by relatives to the music of Miriam Makeba, Olatunji, The Blues, as well as the standards Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Armstrong. During this period of exposure to African American music forms my cherished bootlegged Benny More and Trio Matamoros albums, became nostalgic relics that I would listen to only in very select company. During this time I wrote some crude Sones relying on three guitar chords, and while they were never heard by an audience, they kept me emotionally connected to Santa Clara.
Between 1972 and 1976 I studied classical guitar and jazz ensemble at NMS in New Haven, Conn. with Pat Rook, Don Johnston, and Jeff Fuller, while simultaneously being tutored by the highly respected Puerto Rican Folklorist Henny Alvarez. During this time, while playing with a variety of instrumental "latin/rock/ jazz/fusion" ensembles, as guitarist and percussionist, I was able to begin shaping an original compositional style as co-musical director of The Azabache Ensemble. It was a period of experimentation with rhythms from Brazil, Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Cuba, while using modern jazz harmonies.
In 1979, I returned to Cuba for the first time since 1963. Much to my surprise, while in Cuba, the clandestine Sones I had written found themselves bursting out of me, they had relevance, and spoke of my experiences singing to Cuba from the outside. The many complex, sounding instrumentals that I had composed that had as many chords as one could fit into a measure, gave way to the simplicity and wisdom of the son and the Guaracha. They provided me with a vehicle through which to express my poetry, and re-kindled the notion that music should be played in the service of the dancers.
By 1981 I had joined my aunt Bobi and my uncle Luis in Oakland, California. Billed as Trio CÈspedes, we began performing mostly original "danceable poems" in Son style and, some Ballads, relying on guitar, vocals and small percussion. In 1984 having expanded to an octet we self produced our first LP as Conjunto CÈspedes, entitled "Guira Con Son" comprised of 8 original compositions. That same year Luis left the group, shortly after a difficult East Coast tour, and Bobi and I began looking for a sound that was more folkloric, and simultaneously more contemporary, eventually evolving into the current Conjunto Cespedes sound.
From 1986 to 1989 I studied Afro Cuban folkloric and religious styles with Mario Jauregui, founder of the National Folkloric Ensemble of Cuba. During that period I also studied Jazz Composition, Ear Training, and arranging at Laney College in Oakland.
Since coming to the Bay Area in 1981, most of my artistic energy has been focused on the Conjunto, however I have also made time to freelance with local bands such as Charanga Tumbao y Cuerdas 1993, 1994, Rumbafroson 1985, 1986, Sonora Caribena 1993, 1994, the Brebaje Ensemble 1991, 1992, Mazacote 1996, the Potaje Ensemble 1995, 1996 and Cubanacan 1993, 1994, 1995. I am the musical director of the quintet Aidavu 1994 which has toured extensively throughout Spain. I have worked on musical scores with the Loraine Hansbury Theater 1986, and the American Conservatory Theater 1993. In 1989-91 I received an award as Master Artist through the California Arts Council for Cuban "tres" guitar. I am also the musical director of a contemporary project named Iya Mi'Ile String Project 96 which performs contemporary arrangements of the music of the Orishas arranged for a string quartet, and one chekere. Some of the work with Iya Mi'Ile was commissioned and premiered by The Berkeley Symphony in 1996. Currently I am working on a two hour piece commissioned by the Rockerfeller Foundation entitled Suite for Iya, scheduled to premier in the fall of 1998. It combines a string quartet, a brass quartet, a woodwind quartet, a 40 person chorus, bata drums, and chekeres.
I also spend a fair amount of time as an educator, teaching popular, folkloric, and religious Afro Cuban music. I have conducted residencies and master classes throughout music schools in Spain as well as colleges and universities throughout the United States. Some of my teaching is funded through The California Arts Council, the Leff Foundation, the Berkeley Arts Commission, and The East Bay Foundation.
RESUME
Click on a name to view an individual biography/resume.
The current ensemble includes:
1)Gladys "Bobi" Céspedes- composition, arranging, lead vocals, percussion, co-direction.
2)Guillermo Céspedes-composition, arranging, piano, chekere, Cuban tres guitar, musical direction.
3) Jesus Diaz- composition, arranging, congas, background vocals, percussion section leader.
4) Julius Melendez- arranging, lead trumpet, section leader.
5) Lichi Fuentes- composition, arranging, percussion, chekere, 6 string guitar, background vocals.
6) Jeff Lewis- second trumpet, chekere.
7) Raul Navarrete- trombone.
8) Mara Fox- trombone, chekere.
9) Rahsaan Federicks- bass, background vocals, percussion.
10) Eric Rangel- timbales, background vocals.
11) Oscar Soltero- bongoes, chekere.
12) Oscar Autie- Sound Engineer.
