Aldo Del Rio

Singer, composer and tres player, Died in March 2015 (w. 80 years) in Pinar del Río. Aldo del Río is native of Pinar del Río, the province on the west coast of Cuba. “Tumbadoras and bongos mark his first contact with music, opening up to his talent through his peculiar voice, though lacking of professional formation. Then he discovers the tres after his hands and voice had already travelled through a good number of local scenarios, till he reaches the capital, becoming part of groups such as: Estrellas de Elio, Edén Pinareño, Cuban Boys, Pancho Gómez, Típica Polar and Rolando Lluís, among others, including his presence inside some remarkable national formations, like the Hermanos Castro”. (Doris Céspedes, musicologist) This septuagenarian artist has got a peculiar carisma, which gives him a special attractivity towards all kinds of audience, and stands out for his magnificent technique in playing the tres, instrument he discovered and learned from the remarkable hand of Niño Rivera. In his regular live performances he is followed by a quartet and covers a wide repertory, going through Cuban son, traditional canciòn, bolero, cha cha cha and guaracha. He also went on international tours in various countries of Africa, Europe and Latin America, and in Cuba he participated in some prestigious events such as the Festival de la Musica Tradicional in Santiago de Cuba, the Festival Internacional del Tabaco and the Convenciòn de Turismo in Varadero. In 2002 he was decorated with the Distinciòn por la Cultura Nacional and in 2004 Cubadisco dedicated a big homage to his music path. Aldo del Rìo participated in the recording of many CDs with different record rignatures. His album “Soy como soy” was nominated for the Cubadisco Award 2008 and for the ‘traditional music’ category and harvested a great success in countries like Spain, Brasil, Canada and United States.