Album Notes

Ruben Diaz is possessed of flamenco roots that are embedded in his family. Indeed, his father, Luis Chavarría, was a student and a disciple of Andrés Segovia.

So, quite naturally, it was his farther who first introduced an eight-year-old Ruben to his icon, Paco de Lucía. Ruben’s youthful enthusiasm and relatively untutored efforts were disciplined soon thereafter when he commenced formal studies with the renowned Argentinean classical guitarist, Manuel López Ramos, from whom Ruben obtained a solid foundation in classical guitar technique. Thereafter, he became deeply involved in flamenco music and culture with the gipsy community of southern Spain which, in turn, led back to what was to become a longstanding and close association with Paco de Lucía who has been both Ruben’s example and preceptor for nearly two decades.

Ruben also studied traditional Bachian harmony with the Mexican composer, Humberto Hernández Medrano (a devotee of Katchaturian and Carlos Chávez) as well as modern harmony with prominent Mexican pianist, Ricardo Páez.

Ruben has already performed as a soloist with the National Symphonic Orchestra of Mexico, in the opera “La Vida Breve” of Manuel de Falla as well as toured around the world – notably in Italy, Japan, the United States and, of course, Spain (including the most distinguished precincts of Madrid). In Italy, where he has worked extensively, he has had the opportunity to collaborate with many distinguished musicians such as Paolo Fresu, Walter Caloni, Massimo Colombo and Stefano Cherri (of the “Linea di Confine” quartet) as well as the Stauffer Quartet. He has also performed with the renowned flamenco guitarist, Rafael Riqueni, in Taormina, Sicilia.

Ruben has always scrupulously followed the example of his preceptor, Paco de Lucía, by committing himself to both live performances and recordings and, likewise, he now collaborates with artists from many different countries in projects that include his own compositions incorporating jazz elements as well as jazz performers resulting in a flamenco-jazz fusion.