Builds and plays the Bajo Quinto guitar. An instrument of Baroque heritage that was once common in Tezoatlán de Segura y Luna, Oaxaca. Ruben’s hometown. He’s the conductor of the successful Pasatono Orchestra. A project dedicated to investigating, composing, playing and reviving the music from the Mixteca region of Oaxaca.Rubén and his orchestra have played at the Lincoln Center in New York, Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., National Center for the Arts (CENART) in México City, Getty museum in Los Angeles CA and in several communities around the state of Oaxaca including El Jicaral, Coicoyán de las Flores and Yucuquimi de Ocampo.
Our recording session with him took place on the side of the beautiful Church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán surrounded by Oaxaca’s colonial architecture. After a quick set-up we cued the first track and Rubén made his Bajo Quinto growl non stop for almost 15 minutes. His influences, studies and heritage shone thru his legendary instrument. Without having heard our foundation tracks before, he improvised while staying serene and focused and we were astonished. Meeting people like Rubén and getting to experience his playing is what #ProjectELECTRICO is all about.
