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Ruben Caban

Born March 17, 1977 in the Island of Puerto Rico, trombonist Ruben Caban began his career at a young age performing in the Central Florida area. In his performance career trombonist and composer Ruben Caban has toured and/or recorded as a sideman and soloist with an array of internationally renowned artists such as; Frankie Valli, Jon Secada, Raul Diblasio, Ed Calle, Nicole Henry, Dianne Shurr, Randy Brecker, Arturo Sandoval, Ira Sullivan, The Platters, The Stylistics, Roberto Carlos, Sandra De Sa, Nestor Torres, The O’Jays, Cheo Feliciano, Giovanni Hidalgo, Vico C, Oscar De Leon, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Victor Manuel, Michael Stuart, La India,Paquito De Rivera, and is part of Ed Calle’s 2015 Latin Grammy award winning album Ed Calle Presents Mamblue and many more.

In 2018 Ruben Caban released his first solo album "Shafted", a collection of original compositions and his original arrangements of standards that show off his virtuosity in both his instrument and composition. The album was the only Latin Jazz record to be selected as a finalist and was awarded a Bronze medal winner in the 2018 Global Music awards.

In 2024 Ruben released his second album as a leader titled Kangana. The album resieved a Gold Medal at the Global Music awards and went up to #21 in the Jazz Week charts.

Ruben Caban attended the University Of North Florida where he studied Jazz Trombone and Studio performance and obtained his Masters Degree in Jazz Performance at Florida International University and studied trombone and Jazz theory with Jazz greats such as Miachael Orta, Dante Luciani, John Fedchock, Andy Martin, Wycleff Gordon, Bob McChesney, Bunky Green,Herbie Hancock, Bill Prince, Gary Campbell, Nicky Orta and Brian Lynch. As an international jazz educator he has taught jazz theory and Afro-Caribbean music clinics in Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Jamaica, Cuba and Puerto Rico. Currently he is teaching Jazz trombone, Jazz theory and Jazz & Popular music history at Florida International University, Broward College, Miami- Dade College and Barry University.

Awards

2024 Global Music Awards Gold Medalist for his first solo album "Kangana"

2018 Global Music Awards Bronze Medalist for his first solo album "Shafted"

2015 Latin Grammy pareticipation for Ed Calle Presents Mamblue

1995 Louis Armstrong Jazz Award

Gear

1964 King 2B

Ruben Caban: Shafted

Read "Shafted" reviewed by Edward Blanco

by Edward Blanco
July 17, 2019

Puerto Rican trombonist Ruben Caban makes a splash with the Latin jazz shaded Shafted, his first own-name album. The disc is full of grit and swagger and offers a host of original compositions sure to shake them bones. A professor of jazz trombone at Florida International University as well as Miami-Dade and Broward colleges, Caban is a seasoned professional sharing the stage with some of the best musicians in the world. The album has already received acclaim and ...

Caban's Style is "impressive and unpredictable, executed with the precision akin to a Jedi Master weilding a lightsaber" - Thierry De Clemensat - Indispensable!

"An all Virtuoso on the trombone" -Expression Latina 2018 Review