Artist Profile: Alejandro Falcón

EDUCATION

Alejandro Falcón began his piano studies at the Matanzas School of Music [Escuela de Superación de Música de Matanzas] between 1996-1999. In 2000 he continued his studies at the National School of Music. In 2004 he obtained admission to the Higher Institute of Art [Instituto Superior de Arte – ISA] in Havana, where he graduated in Composition in 2008.

Falcón is one of the best Cuban pianists and composers of his generation. He is already considered a promise of Cuban music and a worthy replacement for his predecessors, such as Bebo and Chucho Valdés, Emiliano Salvador and Gonzalo Rubalcaba, among many other great Cuban musicians.

In his music he inserts multiple elements of Cuban and Latin American music, mainly danzón, son and Afro-Cuban touches, fused with jazz, under an unmistakable style. He possesses high-end interpretive versatility, and skillfully tackles different genres of Cuban popular music, jazz, and concert music.

He has integrated various popular music groups in Cuba with which he has toured many countries around the world and has participated in more than 100 recordingss indistinctly as a pianist, arranger and music producer. In his work is frequent the presence of the danzón, a popular genre that emerged in Matanzas in the 19th century, which is the national dance of Cuba, and which is revitalized in its jazz language.

In 2008 Falcón created his own group: Alejandro Falcón and Cubadentro, with the format of a jazz quartet made up of piano, bass, drums and sometimes tumbadoras. From this moment he began his career as a professional, in which he has done work both as a soloist and with his quartet.

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY

As a pianist member of different bands:

• 2003 – Winter Festival London and Oslo World Music Festival
• 2004 – Latinoamericando Milan
• 2005 – Jazz in Marciac, France
• 2005 – Barranquijazz, Colombia and the Cervantino Festival, Mexico [33 cities in Mexico]
• 2005 – Performed at the New Morning Club in Paris, France
• 2007 – Jazz a Vienne, France
• 2008 – Pori Jazz Festival, Finlandia
• 2008 – Jazz in Marciac, France
• 2009 – Performed at the Lionel Hampton Club in Paris, France
• 2009 – Vancouver, Edmonton, Ottawa Festivals, Canadá
• 2009 – Jazz in Malta and Istanbul Jazz Festival, Turkey
• 2015 – Tour of Canadian Festivals with Adonis Puentes
• 2017 – Ultramar Tour with María del Mar Bonet, in Spain

As a soloist and with Cubadentro:

• 2008 to 2020 – Jazz Plaza Festival, Havana, Cuba
• 2010 – Jazzmania Festival and presentation at Sala Al Ghoury. Cairo, Egypt
• 2010 – Tour of India
• 2011 and 2012 – Tour of Japan
• 2014 – Concert at the Alicante Conference Center
• 2015 – Concert at the José Peón Mérida Theater, as part of the Mayan Music Festival “FICMAYA 2015”
• 2016 – Showcase Selection of the 1st International Music Forum in Havana “Primera Línea 2016”
• 2017 – Closing of the Festival Muchas Músicas, Argentina
• 2017 – Enjoy Jazz Festival, Germany
• 2018 – Closing of the Matanzas Jazz Festival
• 2018 – Jazz Plaza Festival 2018
• 2018 – Josoone Jazz and Rumba Festival, Varadero
• 2019 – Jazz Plaza Festival with Muñequitos de Matanzas, Dave Weckl and Janio Abreu with Victor Goines
• 2019 – Concert on the 20th anniversary of the Barrière Enghien Jazz Festival in France
• 2019 – XIII International Festival “Giant Steppes of Jazz” in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
• 2020 – Jazz Plaza, Havana and PAPJazz, Haiti, performing with an all-star of Cuban jazz, the Haitian pianist Reginald Policard and the percussionist Sammy Figueroa

AWARDS

• 2019 – Cuerda Viva Award in the Jazz Category
• 2015 – Cubadisco Award for Instrumental Music and Recording Categories for his CD-DVD “Cuba Now Danzón”
• 2013 – Cubadisco Award “Ópera Prima” Category for his CD “Claroscuro”
• 2005 and 2006 – First Prize in the Contemporary Composition Category in the International Contest “Musicalia” – Higher Institute of Art
• 2005 – Jojazz International Festival. Composition category
• 2002 – Jojazz International Festival. Performance Category (Piano)

DISCOGRAPHY

In his discography he has had the presence of great figures of Cuban music such as: Omara Portuondo, Mayito Rivera, Germán Velazco, César López, Waldo Mendoza, Alexander Abreu, Orlando Sánchez “Cubajazz”, Pablo Milanés, Julito Padrón and exponents of the young generation of talented Cuban musicians: Luna Manzanares, Héctor Quintana, Michel Herrera, Edgar Martínez, Keisel Jiménez, among others.

Jazz con Guaguancó – Homenaje a Los Muñequitos de Matanzas [Tribute to Los Muñequitos de Matanzas] – DVD 2019 – Los Muñequitos de Matanzas & Alejandro Falcón. Record label: Producciones Colibrí.

Vidas cruzadas [Lifes crossed] – CD 2019 – Soundtrack of the homonymous Telenovela – Alejandro Falcón, licensed under the label Producciones Colibrí.

Mi monte espiritual [My spiritual mount] – CD 2018 – Alejandro Falcón. Record label: Producciones Colibrí.

Rompiendo la rutina [Breaking the routine] – CD 2018 – Alejandro Falcón featuring La Charanga Rubalcaba. Record label: Producciones Colibrí.

Lecuona Jojazz – CD 2015 – Alejandro Falcón, Jorge Luis Pacheco, Alejandro Meroño, Rolando Luna. Record label: Producciones Colibrí.

Cuba Now Danzón – CD+DVD 2012 – Alejandro Falcón. Record label: Producciones Colibrí.

Claroscuro [Chiaroscuro] – CD 2010 – Alejandro Falcón. Record label: Producciones Colibrí.