My name is Laura Robles Marcuello, I was born on 21.07.1981 in Swaziland, Mbabane because my dad (Peruvian) worked nearby and then we went to Cape Verde for a while. My mom (Argentina) got tired of being in Africa and we moved to Lima. When I was 4 years old I started playing cajon, my first teacher was Amador Chebo Ballumbrosio, I was with him until I was 12 years old, then he never wanted to give me lessons again, he told me that I asked too many questions. My neighbour Susana Baca, Peruvian singer, opened an institute called Negro Continuo and I could follow theory classes there with Nilo Borges, Cuban violinist and an incredible person who gave me hours of teaching for years and in parallel I could listen to rehearsals, meet many musicians who passed through there and play with my first bands. Then I met Laureano Rigol and Roberto Borrell, both Cubans, with whom I learned technique and theory, traditional and popular Cuban music, among other things. I started playing electric bass at the age of 20, I formed different projects, but so far the most important project is the Astrocombo.
I have worked with musicians from many countries and participated in international festivals. Currently, I spend most of my time researching different ways of writing traditional rhythms, how to explain what groove is and composing. I also have an experimental music trio called Tripas, I am part of the band Perfektomat led by Joscha Oetz, I work together with Peter Ehwald, our project is called Camina, a duo with Carlos Corona and I work on my solo project Antigroove. I live with my family in Berlin. If you are interested in knowing more about my work or playing with me, you can write me
Tripas
The group, consisting of Laura Robles: ecajon bass, Gustavo Obligado: saxophone clarinet and Tom Kessler: guitar and edrum, is a mixture of Latin American chaotic urban sounds, folklore and free improvisation. Over the past two years, the three musicians have used various rhythmic elements of Latin American popular music and the noise characteristic of the continent to create new sounds, melodies and rhythms with traditional instruments and equipment built by Tom K.
Anti-Groove
In my first solo project, I use rhythms from different countries and change the internal phrasing between them through morphing and improvisation. I also compose rhythms and melodic lines that accompany me during the process of change.
Astrocombo
The Astrocombo consists of 12 compositions that are not 100% "finished" and that I complete with each guest, each guest has room to interpret the music as they wish. A guest stays for a maximum of two years and each season has a different focus.
Robles Carlos Duo
I've been playing with Carlos Corona (Guitar - Mexico) for four years, that's our way of always being in tune with Latin music. We also play our own compositions, all with Latin American sounds.
Camina
I am looking for new ways to approach modern jazz music with the Afro-Peruvian cajon. Together with the saxophonist Peter Ehwald and the pianist Julius Windisch, she finds a musical language that combines rhythmic and harmonic concepts of jazz with the expressive possibilities of Afro-Peruvian folklore, creating a densely woven music of great improvisational freedom and breadth.
By the way, the great illustrations were done by
Rodrigo La Paz!
2023