After The Waves is out now — stream the full album below.
More than a violinist, William Roblejo is a one-man show. Having given his violin a unique personality and voice, he performs with a distinctive zeal and virtuosity that have earned him a respected place among the leading figures in Cuba's vibrant music scene.
With After The Waves, his fourth album, the acclaimed Cuban musician enters an exciting new chapter — an ambitious international project bringing together established artists from Cuba, Iran and Spain, three countries spanning three continents. The album reflects Roblejo's musical journey: deeply rooted in Cuba's celebrated traditions while embracing contemporary influences and international collaboration. It is masterminded by Mo Fini and produced by Mo Fini, William Roblejo, Christophe Rezai, Dayron Ortiz and David Alvarez — a creative team whose diverse backgrounds contribute to the project's distinctive international character.
A graduate of Cuba's prestigious Higher Institute of Art (Instituto Superior de Arte), Roblejo has built a career distinguished by musical excellence, versatility and a willingness to explore beyond conventional boundaries. He was a founder of the contemporary music quartet Traza and a member of the Amadeo Roldán String Quartet, affiliated with the Cuban Philharmonic, and from 2007 to 2011 was a member of the group led by prominent Cuban singer-songwriter David Torrens. Alongside his career as a performer and recording artist, he currently serves as Head of the String Department at the Amadeo Roldán Conservatory, one of Cuba's distinguished institutions for musical education.
After The Waves brings these many dimensions together: performer, composer, collaborator, educator and musical explorer. By connecting musicians from Cuba, Iran and Spain, the project creates a meeting point between cultures and demonstrates music's extraordinary ability to transcend language, geography and borders. The album took over three years to complete, with musicians and sessions travelling back and forth across the three countries. With his unmistakable sound and commanding presence, William Roblejo continues to give the violin a personality entirely his own — one that is unmistakably Cuban yet increasingly international.
Más que un violinista, William Roblejo es un artista en sí mismo. Tras dotar a su violín de una personalidad y una voz únicas, interpreta con un fervor y un virtuosismo inconfundibles que le han granjeado un lugar de honor entre las figuras más destacadas de la vibrante escena musical cubana.
Con After The Waves, su cuarto álbum, el aclamado músico cubano inicia una nueva y emocionante etapa: un ambicioso proyecto internacional que reúne a artistas consagrados de Cuba, Irán y España, tres países que abarcan tres continentes. El álbum refleja la trayectoria musical de Roblejo: profundamente arraigada en las célebres tradiciones cubanas, a la vez que incorpora influencias contemporáneas y colaboraciones internacionales. Su creación estuvo a cargo de Mo Fini, y la producción corrió a cargo de Mo Fini, William Roblejo, Christophe Rezai, Dayron Ortiz y David Alvarez, un equipo creativo cuyas diversas trayectorias contribuyen al distintivo carácter internacional del proyecto.
Graduado del prestigioso Instituto Superior de Arte de Cuba, Roblejo ha forjado una trayectoria caracterizada por la excelencia musical, la versatilidad y la voluntad de explorar más allá de los límites convencionales. Fue fundador del cuarteto de música contemporánea Traza y miembro del Cuarteto de Cuerdas Amadeo Roldán, afiliado a la Filarmónica de Cuba, y de 2007 a 2011 formó parte del grupo liderado por el destacado cantautor cubano David Torrens. Paralelamente a su carrera como intérprete y artista discográfico, actualmente dirige el Departamento de Cuerdas del Conservatorio Amadeo Roldán, una de las instituciones más prestigiosas de Cuba en la enseñanza musical.
After The Waves aúna estas múltiples facetas: intérprete, compositor, colaborador, educador y explorador musical. Al conectar a músicos de Cuba, Irán y España, el proyecto crea un punto de encuentro entre culturas y demuestra la extraordinaria capacidad de la música para trascender el idioma, la geografía y las fronteras. El álbum tardó más de tres años en completarse, recorriendo los continentes de un lado a otro. Con su sonido inconfundible y su imponente presencia, William Roblejo sigue imprimiendo al violín una personalidad propia, inconfundiblemente cubana pero cada vez más internacional.
Arrangements: William Roblejo (all songs) · Producers: Mo Fini, William Roblejo, Christophe Rezai, Dayron Ortiz & David Alvarez · A&R / Executive Producer: Mo Fini · Imprint: Tumi Music
Alongside Roblejo's violin and the guitars of Cuba and flamenco Spain, the album weaves in instruments from Persian classical and folk tradition — carried by musicians recording between Tehran and Jerez de la Frontera.
A bowed string instrument whose art of crafting and playing has existed for over 1,000 years. In Iran and Azerbaijan it's a major element of classical and folkloric music, central to many social and cultural gatherings — also used in Azerbaijani, Armenian, Kurdish, Georgian and Turkmen music.
"Tar" is Persian for "string," giving its name to a family of instruments — setar ("3 strings"), dotar ("2 strings"), ektara ("1 string") and guitar. The setar is a long-necked, three-double-course plucked lute traditionally performed across Azerbaijan — not to be confused with the larger, louder Indian sitar.
A wind instrument from Iran — a hollow reed cylinder with five finger holes in front and one thumbhole in back. The ney is the principal wind instrument in Persian classical music, with a history going back roughly 4,500 years.
A goblet-shaped wooden percussion instrument with a richer sound than frame drums, its sheepskin or goatskin head mostly heard in folk and entertainment music, and traditionally connected to Zurkhaneh ("house of strength") martial gymnastics.
The announcement: After The Waves, an album by @williamroblejo and some of the best artists of Cuba, Iran and Spain — filmed at Estudio La Bodega, Jerez de la Frontera.
Celebrating the end of the Jerez recording sessions with David Alvarez, David Lagos and William Roblejo.
More from the same celebration in Jerez. (The track heard in this clip, "Habanera Sola," is from a different album, Mundo Loco — not from After The Waves.)
Verse
A leaf once said to another leaf: The wind was whispering to me last night that: I shall dance upon that road, together with all creatures running there and moving toward some distant aim.
Replied the other leaf: Never believe the wind! He is a quaint narrator of fascinating fairy tales.
Vocal
One leaf said to the other:
Last night the wind whispered to me that:
I will dance along that path,
tales so full of magic, fables born of dreams,
conquering the distance without end.
Don't pay too much attention to the wind and its persistence,
for one cannot live on fantasies.
Spring will come, the bud will open,
and I will cast my soul to the wind and fly.
Narration
Therefore, never believe in empty fantasies, like the wind.
Don't forget that spring will soon return.
The bud blossomed, and its fragrance took flight.
And just like that, the wind swept across the world.
Verso
Una hoja le dijo una vez a otra hoja:
—Anoche el viento me susurró que bailaré sobre ese camino, junto con todas las criaturas que corren por él y avanzan hacia alguna meta lejana.
La otra hoja respondió:
—¡Nunca creas al viento! Es un peculiar narrador de fascinantes cuentos de hadas.
Vocal
Una hoja le dijo a la otra:
Anoche al viento me susurraba que:
Bailaré sobre ese camino,
cuentos tan llenos de magia, fábulas de ensoñación,
conquistando la distancia sin cesar.
No hagas mucho caso al viento y su porfía,
que no se puede vivir de fantasías.
La primavera vendrá, el capullo se abrirá,
y al viento echaré a volar el alma mía.
Narración
Por lo tanto, nunca creas en fantasías vacías como el viento.
No olvides que pronto regresará la primavera.
El capullo floreció, su perfume echó a volar.
Y el viento así no más invadió el mundo.
The wandering wind that fills the sails,
the scents of the earth, songs, and sounds.
But what does the wind ask in return for doing these things?
It asks for nothing, wants nothing; it simply blows and blows,
it simply blows and blows.
And as the fields blossomed — the bud, the rose —
it miraculously gathered their fragrance.
Blow and blow (×5).
The wandering wind that fills the sails,
scatters dead and loose things far and wide.
El viento errante que hincha las velas,
el aroma de tierra, canciones, sonidos.
¿Pero qué pide el viento para hacer estas cosas?
No pide, no quiere, sólo sopla y sopla,
sólo sopla y sopla.
Y al florecer del campo, el capullo, la rosa,
su perfume reunió de forma milagrosa.
Sopla y sopla (×5).
El tiempo errante que hincha las velas.
Esparce las cosas muertas y sueltas.
La vi, camino del mar,
y al verla pasar,
riendo y feliz.
Seguí sus pasos que fueron redes al final, su aroma que entre los hilos de la brisa me llevan a naufragar.
Y mi sueño sin abrir,
inocente le di.
Y allí, a la luz del faro, su recuerdo quedó como roca en la orilla que ahora el tiempo desgrana.
Sentí que al marchar me dejó la canción del "olvido", la que dice que "sufro apartado de ti".
Volví, buscando en el horizonte una señal, las velas que abandoné se hicieron sal, mi barca se hizo cristal.
Y mis sueños sin abrir,
inocente le di,
todo el amor que siento,
todo el amor que siento — ¡ay que mi alma vuela!
Coro
¡Si todo el amor que siento!
Todo se lo di,
todo el amor que siento,
se lo di.
You who guided my soul through deserts of sand,
Now there is no voice, no whisper. The pillow lies silent,
Without tears, without strength, without joy or sorrow.
Tú que guiaste mi alma por desiertos de arena
Ahora no hay voz, susurros. La almohada silenciosa
Sin lágrimas, sin fuerza, ni alegrías, ni pena.
You will once again take your place in my mind, bringing back my peace of mind. Like the seashell that carries every sigh of the sea, the memory of you gives me strength to face the loneliness. To feel your perfume on my skin again, and in my dreams, to kiss you once more. Wherever I go in the world, I carry you in my heart. I can't forget you for even a second, because you are my breath. I wish I could be a seagull and take flight, to settle in your nest as night falls. I spend my days counting the hours until I can soothe my passion once again.
Volverás a ocupar tu lugar en mi mente,
devolviéndome la tranquilidad.
Como la concha que lleva
cada suspiro del mar,
el recuerdo de ti me da fuerza
para enfrentar a la soledad.
Volver a sentir tu perfume en mi piel,
y en mis sueños volverte a besar.
Donde quiera que voy por el mundo,
yo te llevo en mi corazón.
No te puedo olvidar ni un segundo,
porque tú eres mi respiración.
Quisiera ser gaviota y levantar el vuelo,
posarme en tu nido al anochecer.
Me paso los días contando las horas,
para calmar mi pasión otra vez.
I want to return to my homeland, where the ashes of my people drift through the air.
To return, I want to return here. To return, and not miss another day of the morning breeze washing over my skin.
Not to miss another moment of the gentle dew of your sweet kisses.
(Repeats)
To return.
Quiero volver a mi tierra,
donde vuelan las cenizas de mi gente.
Volver, quiero volver aquí.
Volver.
Y no perder por un día más,
la brisa mañanera lavando mi piel.
No perder un momento más,
ese suave rocío de tus dulces besos.
(Se repite)
Volver.
Arrangements: William Roblejo (all songs) · Narrated by: Mac McLean & Pedro Grimaldi (on "After The Waves") · Producers: Mo Fini, William Roblejo, Christophe Rezai, Dayron Ortiz & David Alvarez · A&R / Executive Producer: Mo Fini · Design Artwork: Lunatrix, Bath, UK · Photo of Santiago Lara: Rina Srabonian · Illustrations of Persian Instruments: Nina Fini (ninafini.co.uk) · Studio Recording Engineers: Dayron Ortiz (Cuba), Reza Asgarzadeh (Iran), Santiago Lara & Lucas Camacho Hinojo (Spain) · Mixing Engineers: Manuel Mantecón, Julio Montoro, David Alvarez & Dayron Ortiz · Mastering: Kadifornia, Jerez, Spain
Also featured on this recording: Jorge Coayo (Percussion, Cuba), Roberto Vazquez Ley (Bass) and the musicians and collaborators listed above.
More than a violinist, William Roblejo is a one-man show. Having given his violin a unique personality and voice, he performs with a distinctive zeal and virtuosity that have earned him a respected place among the leading figures in Cuba's vibrant music scene.
Now, the acclaimed Cuban musician enters an exciting new chapter with the release of his fourth album, an ambitious international project bringing together established artists from Cuba, Iran, and Spain — three countries spanning three continents.
The album reflects Roblejo's musical journey: deeply rooted in Cuba's celebrated traditions while embracing contemporary influences and international collaboration. It is masterminded by Mo Fini and produced by Mo Fini, William Roblejo, Christophe Rezai, Dayron Ortiz, and David Alvarez, a creative team whose diverse backgrounds contribute to the project's distinctive international character.
A graduate of Cuba's prestigious Higher Institute of Art (Instituto Superior de Arte), Roblejo has built a career distinguished by musical excellence, versatility, and a willingness to explore beyond conventional boundaries.
He was a founder of the contemporary music quartet Traza and a member of the Amadeo Roldán String Quartet, affiliated with the Cuban Philharmonic. From 2007 to 2011, Roblejo was also a member of the group led by prominent Cuban singer-songwriter David Torrens, further expanding his experience across Cuba's contemporary music landscape.
Alongside his career as a performer and recording artist, Roblejo has made an important contribution to the development of Cuba's next generation of musicians. He currently serves as Head of the String Department at the Amadeo Roldán Conservatory, one of Cuba's distinguished institutions for musical education.
His fourth album brings these many dimensions together: performer, composer, collaborator, educator, and musical explorer. By connecting musicians from Cuba, Iran, and Spain, the project creates a meeting point between cultures and demonstrates music's extraordinary ability to transcend language, geography, and borders.
The long journey has taken over three years to finish, travelling forward and backward across the continents.
With his unmistakable sound and commanding presence, William Roblejo continues to give the violin a personality entirely his own — one that is unmistakably Cuban yet increasingly international.
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