“Playing at the festival reignited that fire inside me, reminding me of who I am and what I want,”
says Humberto Garcia Raul Gonzales, the former bandleader and arranger for the band synonymous with Cuban music – Buena Vista Social Club. Gonzales’ journey to Nebraska Crossroads is a bewildering journey; from a global superstar, to living in relative obscurity in Marshalltown, Iowa and back to the stage again.
In 2023, Mixed Harmony and Gonzales debuted at the Nebraska Crossroads Music Festival after being recommended by local guitarist and bandleader Daniel Martinez. In 2024, they returned as one of the featured groups in the showcase performances as one of the headlining acts.
The language barrier meant that communications began through a combination of translators, go-betweens, and ChatGTP. “Can I bring one more?” inquired Gonzales. “He is the best trumpet player from all of Cuba. It’s important. I need him.” Soon, Nebraska Crossroads Music Festival was hosting a 10-year reunion from Havana in Omaha and Lincoln.
Here, six of the best Cuban expat musicians in the United States were together again, unleashing a joyous cacophony upon the heavy Midwestern summer air. Gonzales is a man of many talents – a fantastic saxophonist and pianist – as well as composer, songwriter and arranger.
Soft-spoken and modest in every interaction he had with staff and audience, Humberto was clear how grateful he was to be playing music again. Since moving to the U.S. Gonzales has had to set music aside in favor of paying the bills.
Here’s a man who, by his own admission, had never thought about self-promotion, booking, online presence or any of the rest of it before now. If you’re heading up Buena Vista Social Club, there’s staff for that.
Take away that infrastructure drop yourself into place where no one knows you – you can be sure they know Buena Vista Social Club in L.A., New York, Sao Paulo and Paris, but maybe not in Marshalltown, Iowa – and even if you’re the best of the best, you have the build from the ground up.
He says, ”I’ve had to take on very hard jobs, working 8 to 12 hours, and when I finish, I just get home and fall asleep, with no strength left to even think about music.” It’s astonishing to think about this while listening to Mixed Harmony – and to consider what would happen to all the hidden talent across our country if it were given the right conditions to thrive.
So here’s a man in what should be the golden era of his career working 12-hour shifts, trying to learn English on the side and support his family; it’s easy to understand why he hasn’t had the energy to take a Figma course and put his incredible CV up on a slick website. It’s amazing how a little help can go really far to remove some basic obstacles from people who otherwise have great potential – it is the least we can do. And in the end, everyone wins.
After the final show, Mixed Harmony’s band members confided, “Humberto’s too modest, but he’s a mentor to all of us. He taught us everything we know about this music and he is a great musician.” The Nebraska Crossroads Music Festival audiences agree. We hope that the rest of Humberto’s adopted home will soon feel the same.
