Activities
Raffo (2003-present day)
The debut performance of Raffo’s current music group took place in November 2003, at the Teatro Argentino in La Plata, in the context of the local jazz festival. Its line-up consisted of Raffo (Keyboards), Gustavo Musso (Saxophones), Andrés Rot (Bass) and Tomás Babjaczuk (Drums). The following year, they were joined by Beto Merino (Percussion) and Daniel Johansen in replacement of Musso. This quintet, once settled, presented itself at the Buenos Aires Jazz y Otras Músicas festival of 2004 and it was this formation that recorded the CD “Guarda que viene el tren / Música de Flores, vol. 1”, released in 2006. That year, following the departure of Rot and Babjaczuk towards Berklee, Pablo Martin (Bass) and Rodrigo Genni (Drums) entered the group. They performed once again at the “Buenos Aires Jazz…” festival and later Martín Rur replaced Daniel Johansen for the presentations of the CD at Domus Artis.
The quintet comprised by Raffo, Rur, Martin, Genni and Merino is the formation that has recorded the CD “Diatónicos Anónimos / Música de Flores vol. 2”. In 2012, Beto Merino and Pablo Martín left the group and Tomás Pagano (bass) enters. The Raffo-Rur-Pagano-Genni quartet is the band’s current line-up. In 2013 they release the CD “Al Sur del Maldonado”, the third volume of the “Música de Flores” series They are regulars at the jazz scene of Buenos Aires. In 2007 they participate in the music’s day celebration concert at the IUNA (Universitarian Nacional Arts Institute) and in 2008 they were selected to play in the “Bares Notables” concert series by the Secretary of Culture of the city. They also performed in the 2012 edition of the Buenos Aires Jazz Festival and in the national celebration of the May 25 of 2013.
The music composed by Raffo for this group combines the rhythmic patterns, emotional climate and aesthetic character of South-American criollo music with the improvisational spirit of jazz. These elements flow within formal structures and compositional developments commonly associated with academic music resulting in an unstable mix of erudition and atorrantismo.
Master of Arts, New York University (1998-1999)
During his stay in New York while completing his graduate degree in composition at NYU, Raffo dedicated himself to writing music along two lines: on one hand, pieces for chamber ensembles oriented towards contemporary music and, on the other, pieces for popular music ensembles which anticipated what would become the style of his current project. Amongst the former are included: “El Momento entre los Trapecios” (recorded with Gustavo Parra as conductor, for the collective CD “NYU Composers Seminar”), “Hell-Free Day” (Included in “Guarda que viene el Tren”) and “Vesre va al Tefrén”. This last piece is made up of three sections: “Migamilón”, “Embalsavals” and “Octangotán”. The latter includes: “Diatónicos Anónimos”, “Salón Granaderos”, and “Tipos que Nadie Escucha”.
In November 1999, Raffo organized a concert at the Black Box Theater in New York City presenting all of this material. Some outstanding musicians of the local scene played in the various ensembles which performed that night, such as Pablo Aslan (Bass), Diego Urcola (Trumpet), Brian Lynch (Trumpet) and Satoshi Takeishi (Drums).
GPR (1997-2000)
A rock trio formed by three former members of Trigémino: Raffo (Keyboards), Carlos Garófalo (Vocals, bass and acoustic guitar) and Marco Pusineri (Drums and samplers). They undertook a repertoire consisting of original compositions by its members, in addition to their own versions of some tangos and classic Argentinean rock tunes. They performed live sets at the FM Radio La Tribu, at the Anfiteatro Municipal de Rosario and in the Enrique Muiño and A-B auditoriums of the Centro Cultural San Martín.
Monos con Navajas (1990-1995)
A prestigious jazz-fusion group co-led by Raffo and bassist Willy González. During its active years, several outstanding players of the national music scene passed through its ranks, such as Pablo Rodríguez (Saxophonist and flutist); Francisco Rivero, Guillermo Arrom and René Rossano (Guitarists); Daniel Volpini, Jorge Araujo, Ernesto Zeppa and Fernando Martínez (Drummers); and “Bam Bam” Miranda, Rubén Sánchez Retta, Nico Cota and Facundo Guevara (Percussionists).
They frequently performed in renowned venues such as Babilonia and Oliverio. They also presented themselves regularly at the auditorium of the Paseo La Plaza and at the Mar del Jazz festival of 1991 and others organized by the Centro de Divulgación Musical del Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires and the Sindicato Argentino de Músicos (SADEM).
In November 1992, they invited guitarist Scott Henderson (Tribal Tech, Zawinul Syndicate, Chick Corea Electric Band) to join them for a concert at the Prix D’Ami club, which was recorded and then released as a video. In March 1993, they were featured as guest performers in Joe Zawinul’s concerts at the Auditorio de Belgrano.
They have released three records: “Monos con Navajas” in 1992, “Monos con Navajas II” in 1994 and “Noventa/Noventa y Cinco” in 2003. This last one is a compilation showing all the different formations of MCN, it includes tracks from the previous records and one third of it is previously unreleased material.
In September 1995 they received a diploma from the Konex foundation that commended them as one of the five most prominent jazz groups in the decade spanning 1985-1995.
They ceased their activities in late 1995. Throughout their career, they earned the recognition of the specialized media and the respect of their fellow colleagues, becoming one of the most important groups of its genre in Argentina.
El Güevo (1983-present day)
A cult band in the Buenos Aires music scene of the 80’s. Its original members were: Raffo (Keyboards), Pablo Rodríguez (Saxophones and flute), Sebastián Schon (Saxophones), César Silva (Guitar), Marcelo Torres (Bass) and Daniel Volpini (Drums). In 1984, Guillermo Arrom replaces Silva and, in 1986/1987, Diego Urcola (Trumpet) takes Schon’s place.
They performed extensively in the pub circuit of their time (Jazz & Pop, Prix D’Ami, La Esquina del Sol, Stud Bar and others), achieving an unusually large following for a group playing only instrumental music. In 1987, they released what was to be their only record, “El Güevo”, through the indie label Circe. In 1993, this material is re-released in Uruguay by the label Perro Andaluz.
In 1989, Raffo re-assembles the group in Boston, expanding it and re-arranging the music to fit an ensemble of eleven musicians (three saxophones, two trumpets, trombone, guitar, keyboards, bass, drums and percussion), which presented itself at Berklee Performance Center in that city. Back in Buenos Aires, in the summer of 1990, he performed with that formation at the Parque Centenario auditorium.
Starting in 2003 and continuing on to the present day, bassist and conductor Gustavo Gregorio (member of the Boston version of El Güevo) has been organizing and conducting the group in the city of Madrid, spreading Raffo’s original music and arrangements throughout Spain and the rest of Europe.
En 2010 el grupo se reunió para una serie de presentaciones en el club Jazz & Pop de Buenos Aires. Este reencuentro derivó en la grabación de un álbum con los clásicos de la banda. El trabajo fue producido por Andrés Mayo y editado en 2011 solamente en formato vinilo.
Raffo Trío (1979-1980)
A jazz trio made up by Raffo (Keyboards) together with Daniel Suriani (Bass) and Miguel Calzón (Drums, nowadays a renowned composer of electro-acoustic music). It was the scene of Raffo’s first experiences combining jazz with Latin American rhythms. The group produced no recordings.