The University of Wisconsin–Madison Arts Institute, the School of Music, and the Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives (OMAI) within the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Educational Achievement welcomed legendary Afro-Cuban musician Juan de Marcos González as the Fall 2015 Interdisciplinary Artist in Residence.
Grammy Award winner Juan de Marcos González is a central figure in Cuban music. His work with the Afro-Cuban All Stars, the Buena Vista Social Club, Ruben González, Ibrahim Ferrer, Sierra Maestra, and others has made an extraordinary contribution to raising the profile of Cuban music throughout the world.
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About the Artist
Grammy Award winner Juan de Marcos González is a central figure in Cuban music. His work with the Afro-Cuban All Stars, the Buena Vista Social Club, Ruben González, Ibrahim Ferrer, Sierra Maestra, and others has made an extraordinary contribution to raising the profile of Cuban music throughout the world.
Juan de Marcos was born in Havana in 1954 and grew up surrounded by music (his father, Marcos González, was a singer and played with the great Arsenio Rodríguez). He studied classical guitar at the Conservatorio Amadeo Roldán and tres guitar at Conservatorio Ignacio Cervantes—both in Havana, and privately with the great maestros Vicente González Rubiera and Leopoldina Núñez. He also studied contemporary harmony and orchestral conducting at Goldsmiths – University of London. Besides his musical studies, he has degrees in engineering (with a focus on hydraulic engineering) and Russian and English languages along with a doctorate degree in agronomical sciences.
In 1976, while studying engineering and music, he co-founded the group Sierra Maestra. Styled as a traditional Cuban septeto group (tres, trumpet, bass, percussion, and vocals), the dynamic young band’s aim was to bring about an appreciation of Cuban son (musical and dance style) to the youth of the island. The band achieved great success and recorded fourteen albums in Cuba, Africa, and Europe, toured many countries, and received various awards.
In 1996, Juan de Marcos formed the The Afro-Cuban All Stars as a way to promote/celebrate the “golden age” of Cuban music from the 1950s. Their album “A toda Cuba le gusta” (Grammy Nominee ’98) was the first to be recorded in the now famous Buena Vista Social Club sessions and Juan de Marcos proved to be a springboard for the success that came up. Following the album’s release, Juan de Marcos led the Afro-Cuban All Stars and The Ruben González Ensemble on their debut European and U.S. tours and directed the Buena Vista Social Club at top performance venues worldwide including Amsterdam’s Le Carré, New York’s Carnegie Hall, and Mexico City’s Auditorio Nacional.
His work has been nominated for multiple Grammy Awards and once for a Latin Billboard award, and his Afro-Cuban All Stars were voted “Best Beyond Band” by DownBeat magazine. During his career, Juan de Marcos has arranged, conducted, produced/co-produced, and/or performed on more than twenty-five albums, some of the albums, “Dundunbanza” (Sierra Maestra, 1994), “A toda Cuba le gusta” (Afro-Cuban All Stars, 1997), “Distinto, diferente” (Afro-cuban All Stars, 1999), “Introducing Ruben González” (Ruben González, 1997), “Buena Vista Social Club presents Ibrahim Ferrer” (Ibrahim Ferrer, 1999), and “Buena Vista Social Club” (1997), have been acclaimed as key cultural Cuban productions. In 2000, he was honored with his friend Nick Gold, Owner of World Circuit Records label, the first WOMEX (World Music Expo) Award in 2000.
Sponsors
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The Juan de Marcos residency was sponsored by the UW–Madison Arts Institute and was hosted by the School of Music and Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives (OMAI). OMAI proposed the Juan de Marcos residency to coincide with the program’s 10th anniversary celebrations. His residency was cosponsored by the Afro–American Studies Department; the Department of Art History; the Dance Department; the Art Department; the Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies Program; and the A.E. Havens Center for the Study of Social Justice. Community partners include the Greater Madison Jazz Consortium, the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission (Dane Arts), the Madison Arts Commission, 100state, and the Overture Center for the Arts. The Art Institute’s Interdisciplinary Arts Residency Program is made possible by funding from the UW–Madison Office of the Provost.
Resources + Media Mentions
- An ‘all star’ Cuban legend brings his music to Madison, Wisconsin State Journal, September 28, 2015
- The Cuba connection, Isthmus, September 27, 2015
- A Toda Madison le Gusta … the Afro-Cuban All Stars!, Cultural Oyster, September 26, 2015
- Afro-Cuban All Star Juan de Marcos González Begins Fall Arts Residency, Madison365, September 23, 2015
- Q&A: Juan de Marcos González brings Cuban culture to Madison, The Cap Times, September 20, 2015
- Afro-Cuban All Star Juan de Marcos González begins fall arts residency, Inside UW, September 17, 2015
- El Son Cubano is Alive and Kicking, and Pellejo Seco Comes to Town to Prove It, CulturalOyster, September 11, 2015
- Cuban musician González to lead UW-Madison residency, Wisconsin Gazette, September 10, 2015
- “The Jazz Man”, Our Lives magazine, September/October 2015 (PDF)
- UW-Madison to host legendary Cuban musician – Juan de Marcos González, a driving force behind the Buena Vista Social Club, as the Fall 2015 Arts Institute’s Interdisciplinary Artist in Residence, September 3, 2015 (PDF)
Videos
Course: Music 469, Afro-American Studies 469, Dance 469, Chican@ Latin@ Studies 330, LACIS 440
Topic Title: Afro-Cuban Music: Roots, Jazz, Hip Hop
Instructor: Juan de Marcos González, Fall 2015 Artist in Residence
UW Instructor of Record: Johannes Wallman, School of Music
Day/Time: Tuesdays 3:30-6pm Lecture
Location: 2441 Humanities Building
Limit: 20
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: None
Description: This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn about the development of Afro-Cuban music and the emergence of Cuban Hip Hop from legendary musician, composer, and producer Juan de Marcos González. The 3 credit lecture will cover African roots through the present, including Danza, Contradanza, Jazz, Machito, Irakere, Son Montuno, Changuí, Salsa, Timba, Hip-Hop, and Reggaeton.
Course: Music 497
Topic Title: Music Production: Afro-Cuban & Hip Hop Music
Instructor: Juan de Marcos González, Fall 2015 Artist in Residence
UW Instructor of Record: Johannes Wallman, School of Music
Day/Time: Thursdays 3:30-5:30pm
Location: Multicultural Student Center classroom, 2nd floor Red Gym
Limit: 15
Credits: 1
Prerequisite: Application & Consent of Instructor; Concurrent registration in “Afro-Cuban Music: Roots, Jazz, Hip Hop.”
Application Instructions: This course is currently full. To find out whether you can be added to a waitlist, please contact School of Music professor Johannes Wallman.
Description: Students interested in recording original music based upon the work presented in Juan de Marcos González’s “Afro-Cuban Music: Roots, Jazz, Hip Hop” lecture may enroll concurrently in this 1 credit production course. The Grammy award-winning Juan de Marcos has been responsible for creating, conducting, and producing some of the most important and seminal recordings of 20th century Cuban music including “A toda Cuba le gusta,” “Dundumbanza,” “Buenavista Social Club,” and “Buenavista Social Club presents Ibrahim Ferrer.”
Special Continuing Studies Workshop Opportunity
Title: Latin American String Ensemble: A Performance Workshop
Instructors: Gliceria González Abreu and Mikko Utevsky
Day/Time: Sundays September 13-October 18, 2-4pm
Location: Humanities 1321
Final performance: Sunday, October 18, time/location TBD
Cost: $50
Registration: Call 608-262-2451 or register online by September 6, 2015
Description: Explore the classical side of Cuban music with a member of the Afro-Cuban All Stars. This 6-week class will be a chance for players on bowed string instruments (violin, viola, cello, bass) to learn a few selections from Cuba’s centuries-long tradition of classical music with Gliceria Gonzalez Abreu. Pre-requisite: intermediate string-playing skills. This is a project of the Division of Continuing Studies and is co-sponsored by the Arts Institute, the School of Music, and Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies. Support provided by the Anonymous Fund.
Instructor Biographies: Gliceria González Abreu is a pianist and orchestral conductor. She has led classical music ensembles in Cuba, Mexico, and the US. González also works in popular music, singing backup vocals and playing keyboards and vibraphone with the Afro-Cuban All Stars. Madison native Mikko Rankin Utevsky is the conductor of The Studio Orchestra and the Madison Area Youth Chamber Orchestra. He is also active as a violist, baritone, and music critic for the Well-Tempered Ear.
Announcements
- Watch a highlights video of the Juan de Marcos Interdisciplinary Arts Residency from Fall 2015.
- Check out our photo album for some great shots of A Celebration Event with Legendary Cuban Musician Juan de Marcos and Friends!
- If you missed the live stream of A Celebration Event with Legendary Cuban Musician Juan de Marcos and Friends on December 8, we are thrilled to share the video footage with you!
- Experience the Classical Side of Cuban Music with this photo album from the concert on October 28, 2015.
- The lecture series is really underway now! See a glimpse of what’s in store by watching this video featuring footage from the Afro-Cuban All Stars’ visit to Madison.
- Check out our photo album for some great shots of the Juan de Marcos weekly lecture series!
- Juan de Marcos’ weekly lecture series kicked off on Tuesday, September 22, and featured guest artists Pellejo Seco! Watch this promotional video.
- Register for Latin American String Ensemble: A Performance Workshop taught by Gliceria González and Mikko Utevsky by September 6, 2015.
- Due to unforeseen circumstances, guest artist Sierra Maestra are unable to join us, and as such, their events have been cancelled.
- The band Pellejo Seco, an eclectic group that has its roots in traditional Cuban music, has been added to the list of guest artists visiting Madison this semester.
Events
Cuban String Ensemble: Performance Workshop commences
Cuban String Ensemble: Performance Workshop with Gliceria González Abreu commences—registration deadline September 6. UW-Madison Division of Continuing Studies. Sundays through October 18