Biography

Ernan Lopez Nussa is a renowned Cuban pianist who has built an international reputation on his ability to combine rhythm, lyricism and fusion in an authentic manner. He is a gifted composer, arranger, and interpreter, creating music with impressive formal richness and great versatility. Ernan studied classical piano at the prestigious Cuban Institute of Arts, and developed his musical style in the 1980’s when working with Afrocuba, the Cuban school of music. There he came into contact with the talented generation of Cuban musicians that includes Oriente Lopez, Omar and Oscarito Valdes. With this group, Ernan situated himself at the head of the Cuban music vanguard, a phase that peaked when he worked with the famous Cuban singer Sylvio Rodriguez on two releases, “Causas y Azares” and “Oh Melancolia”. He then founded “Cuarto Espacio”, a group that brought together the talents of ex-members of the band “Afrocuba” to create a new jazz sound.

During his solo career, Ernan toured and performed in England at Ronnie Scott’s, at the New Morning in Paris, and tours in Chicago, Los Angeles, Tokio, Rio de Janeiro, Sap Paulo, Buenos Aires, Madrid, Rome, and many other cities around the world. Last year (2000), Ernan invited Cuban musicians like Tata Guines, Changuito and Jorge Reyes to take part in one of the most sophisticated musical projects to come from Cuba via Brazil — a CD called “From Havana To Rio”.

How we met:

Ernan was one of the first musicians we met while traveling through Cuba with Jackson Browne. He plays with Carlos Varela, so we met and recorded both of them at Carlos’s house at the start of our musical journey around the country.