Roman Filiu Quartet at The Cell

After graduating from the Higher Institute of Art in Havana and working as a saxophone professor at the National School of Music in the same city, Filiu joined to the well-known band Irakere, leaded by Chucho Valdes, from 1997 to 2006. In 1999 he participated in the recording of the album Babalu Aye which was nominated to the Grammy Awards.

Also Filiu played alto saxophone for Chucho Valdés' album New Conceptions, which won a Grammy Award later in 2004.

Another important collaboration as a sideman was his work with David Murray. Filiu became Murray's Latin Big Band musical director in 3 of his albums, Now is the time (2002), Waltz Again (2005) and David Murray plays Nat King Cole in Spanish (2009). Also, Filiu has played and recorded with other important musicians as Lazaro Ross, Compay Segundo, Omara Portuondo, Pablo Milanés, Incognito, Doug Hammond , David Virelles, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Dafnis Prieto and Henry Threadgill, among others. ...

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After graduating from the Higher Institute of Art in Havana and working as a saxophone professor at the National School of Music in the same city, Filiu joined to the well-known band Irakere, leaded by Chucho Valdes, from 1997 to 2006. In 1999 he participated in the recording of the album Babalu Aye which was nominated to the Grammy Awards.

Also Filiu played alto saxophone for Chucho Valdés' album New Conceptions, which won a Grammy Award later in 2004.

Another important collaboration as a sideman was his work with David Murray. Filiu became Murray's Latin Big Band musical director in 3 of his albums, Now is the time (2002), Waltz Again (2005) and David Murray plays Nat King Cole in Spanish (2009). Also, Filiu has played and recorded with other important musicians as Lazaro Ross, Compay Segundo, Omara Portuondo, Pablo Milanés, Incognito, Doug Hammond , David Virelles, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Dafnis Prieto and Henry Threadgill, among others.

In 2010 he recorded his album Musae in New York, along with great musicians David Virelles, Reinier Elizarde, Marcus Gilmore, Dafnis Prieto and Adam Rogers. A review by Midwest Record says about it that "While there are strong elements of church basement flavored Coltrane, this sets up a nice contemporary groove that veers to the left throughout." In 2011, upon the creative success of Musae, Filiu moved to New York to continue working within its thriving musical scene.

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