Rainier Elizondo ‘El Negrón’ is performing with Amos Lora Band at the MoonJune Festival Toledo on September 30, 2023.
Rainier Elizarde ‘El Negrón’ was born in Santa Clara (Villa Clara), Cuba, on April 22, 1982. He began his music studies at the Casa de Cultura in Santa Clara where he began to study bass. At the age of 15, he continued his studies at the National School of Art, spending 2 years of his career as a student at this school. He began his career as a professional performing at the Jazz Café with musicians from Irakere, the great orchestra led by Chucho Valdés, and at La Zorra y el Cuervo (Havana), which are the two best-known places in Cuba. In that same year he also began to play with Orlando Valle (Maraca) and another Vision, one of the most important Latin Jazz groups in Cuba, directed by the already mentioned flutist Orlando Valle (Maraca), with him.
Reinier goes to major festivals of recognized prestige in the United States, Europe and Canada such as the Montreal festival. At the age of 19 he graduated from school as a professional and instrumentalist and double bass teacher. A year later he began his higher studies at the Higher Institute of Art in Havana, in that same year he recorded with Chucho Valdés for the album called La Rumba soy yo, he also made recordings with David Murray. He has participated as an accompanist in Jojazz, a contest that is held for young Cuban jazz players and is also presented at the Havana Jazz Festival, Jazz Plaza: Chucho Valdés and Michel Legrand in duo, Reinier Elizarde Ruano on double bass and the maestro Giraldo Piloto on drums. Later he began working with a popular dance music orchestra called Pupy y los que son son, led by César (Pupy) Pedroso, who was one of the creators of the musical phenomenon “Songo”, founder as a pianist, composer and arranger of the well-known international orchestra LOS VAN VAN; today considered the master of Cuban Timba. Reinier remains in the famous group for 4 years with great success, consolidating his knowledge in various musical genres.
He enjoys great consideration and affection among all his colleagues for the seriousness in his work.