Ñico Rojas (August 3, 1921 – November 22, 2008 in
Havana
Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.[Cuba
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...](_bl ...<br></span></div>, <div class=)
) was a prominent Cuban composer and guitarist, considered as one of the founders of a style of Cuban song called ''filin''.
Biography
José Antonio Rojas, also known by the nickname of Ñico Rojas, began playing the
guitar
The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
as an autodidact at a very young age. He entered the
University of Havana
The University of Havana (UH; ) is a public university located in the Vedado district of Havana, the capital of Cuba. Founded on 5 January 1728, the university is the oldest in Cuba, and one of the first to be founded in the Americas. Originall ...
when he was 18 years old in order to study Hydraulic
Engineering
Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
.
[Bellido, Nacho: Ñico Rojas (1921-2008) Obras para guitarra: http://www.laguitarra-blog.com/2012/03/19/nico-rojas-1921-2008-obras-para-guitarra/]
In the 1940s, while he was still studying at the University, Ñico became a member of a group of artists that created a new style of Cuban song, called ''
filin'', which combined Cuban rhythms with harmonies and melodies influenced by American
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
during the 1940s and 1950s.
After his graduation, Rojas established his residence in the City of
Matanzas
Matanzas (Cuban ; ) is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas Province, Matanzas. Known for its poets, culture, and Afro-American religions, Afro-Cuban folklore, it is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Mat ...
, where he dedicated himself to advance his career, contributing to the construction of numerous engineering projects, such as bridges and viaducts,
as well as to teaching hydrology at the Instituto José Martí.
[Orovio, Helio: Cuban music from A to Z. Tumi Music Ltd. Bath, U.K., 2004.]
At the same time, Ñico Rojas continued cultivating his love of music by composing songs such as the boleros “Mi Ayer”, “Ahora sí sé que te quiero” y “Sé consciente”, which were recorded by renowned singers as
Pepe Reyes, Orlando Vallejo and
Miguelito Valdés;
and numerous pieces for the guitar that included influences from classical music as well as from the most popular traditions.
That way, Rojas was able to create a unique guitar style that showed great complexity and technical virtuosity, about which the Cuban musicologist
Leonardo Acosta said: "it overflows with emotion, vitality and intellect".
[Pedreira, Martín: Ñico Rojas. Obras Para Guitarra. Ediciones Museo de la Música, Habana, Cuba, 2011]
Ñico Rojas used to offer concerts on an annual basis at the Cuban National Museum of Fine Arts (
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes) in
Havana
Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.[Frank Emilio Flynn
Francisco Emilio Flynn Rodríguez (April 13, 1921 – August 23, 2001), better known as Frank Emilio Flynn, was a renowned Cuban pianist. Despite being blind, he was a skilled and versatile pianist who mastered many forms of Cuban music, from dan ...](_bl ...<br></span></div>, which served to promote his music within the people in Havana; and he recorded his first album, Suite Cubana para Guitarra, in 1964, that was followed by another one in 1977.
The Canadian flutist an saxophonist Jane Bunnet recorded the Roja's piece called )
, which included the same piece, as well as another one titled "Mi Ayer" in an album called "Barbarismo", recorded in 1997. "Mi Ayer" was also included by singer
Omara Portuondo
Omara Portuondo Peláez (born 29 October 1930) is a Cuban singer and dancer. A founding member of the popular vocal group Cuarteto d'Aida, Portuondo has collaborated with many important Cuban musicians during her long career, including Julio G ...
in her album "Palabras" from 1997. Ñico Rojas traveled to New York 1998 to perform at the Lincoln Center together with other prominent musicians such as
Frank Emilio Flynn
Francisco Emilio Flynn Rodríguez (April 13, 1921 – August 23, 2001), better known as Frank Emilio Flynn, was a renowned Cuban pianist. Despite being blind, he was a skilled and versatile pianist who mastered many forms of Cuban music, from dan ...
,
Orlando "Cachaíto" López and
Winton Marsalis; and the renowned guitarist Marco Tamayo recorded five of his compositions in his album titled Music from Cuba (Naxos Classical), in 2004.
The pieces for guitar of Ñico Rojas have been transcribed by prominent Cuban guitarist
Martín Pedreira, as well as by José A. Perez Miranda y Ahmed Dickinson, and published by EGREM in Cuba.
Rojas received numerous distinctions in Cuba, including an award by the UNEAC (National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba) in 1994.
See also
Music of Cuba
The music of Cuba, including its instruments, performance, and dance, comprises a large set of unique traditions influenced mostly by west African and European (especially Spanish) music. Due to the syncretic nature of most of its genres, Cuban ...
References
External links
* Ñico Rojas: Guajira a mi madre: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP4SiPjMwaU
* Ñico Rojas: Francito y Alfonsito: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHQv_9oS2gs
* Ñico Rojas: Retrato de un médico violinista: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRu89OLwy5k
* Ñico Rojas: Helenita y Jorgito: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw3NP-oQuOU
* Ñico Rojas: El Manisero: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN-JkYB2mII
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rojas, ñico
Cuban composers
Cuban male composers
Cuban male guitarists
1921 births
2008 deaths
Musicians from Havana
Cuban guitarists
20th-century Cuban guitarists
20th-century male musicians
Cuban male musicians