Quique has a long and distinguished career as a recording artist, in musical ensembles, collaborations and solo albums.  He has played and recorded with internationally renowned figures such as Pete Seeger , Jackson Brown, Horacio Durán, Mimi Farina and Sting. 

Quique specializes in music for films, documentaries and features.  He is presently the composer for a documentary film directed by Rick Tejada-Flores entitled “The Road to Chulumani,”as well as the feature film “Pisagua,” directed by noted Chilean filmmaker Cristian Galaz.  He will score his own film, “Villa Grimaldi: Archeology of Memory.”

Up-Coming albums: 

“Villa Grimaldi:  Archeology of Memory in Three Cantos”

Quique Cruz has written a musical suite in three movements entitled:  “Arqueologia de la Memoria: Villa Grimaldi en Tres Cantos”.  The musical suite mixes two different l types of music: Latin American ancestral folk music and contemporary jazz. The Latin American music anchors the piece to Chilean culture and symbolizes the period of history before the coup d’etat. The use of jazz is a reflection of how communities in diaspora manifest transformations, developing new art forms.

The Group Quijeremá recorded the musical suite at Musiquito Productions in Oakland California. Internationally renowned musicians collaborating in the project include guitarist Alex DeGrassi, pianist John Calloway, singer Fracisco “Pancho” Sazo; and percussionist/composer Sergio “Tilo” Gonzalez, among others.  It will be available in December 2006.

“Cenizas: Variations for the Venezuelan Bandola Llanera”

Quique has been working on a project called “Bandola Cenizas/Ashes: Variations for the Venezuelan Bandola.”

 The Bandola llanera is a small lute-like stringed instrument. It has four strings and only seven frets. The group is working on a set of eight new compositions written for the Venezuelan bandola llanera.

The compositions use the bandola in performing different styles of Latin American folk rhythms within an improvisational jazz space. The tunes range from Venezuelan calypso to takirari from Peru, and Brazilian samba-reggae to the Mississippi blues.

Venezuelan master Luthier Ramón Blanco constructed a special bandola for Quique.

Fellowships and awards

* National Endowment for the Arts for multi-disciplinary arts

* Meet the Composer (2002 and 2006)

* Oshita Composer Fellowship, from the Djerassi Foundation

* National Endowment for the Arts for musical ensemble

* California Arts Council, Artist in Residence

* National Endowment for the Arts for the film

Discography:

As a main Composer:

Tinta Verde/ Green Ink, (Quijeremá, 2004)

“Quijeremá” (Musiquito, 2002)

“Tatamonk” (Tropo Records, 2000)

“Amistades” (Warisnake, 2000)

With other artists in the following albums:

“Closing The Distance: Poems, Prayers and Love Songs, Contemporary
Arrangements of Traditional and Original Songs from the Jewish Diaspora,” Alisa Fineman (2004)

 “Santiago del Nuevo Extremo, en Vivo,” (Chile 2002)

“Charango Autores Chilenos,” (Warner Brothers, 2002)

“A Este Lado del Mundo,” Viento Celta  (Mundo Vivo, 2001)

“The Next Voice You Hear: The Best of Jackson Browne” (Electra Asylum, 1997)

“Lives in the Balance,” Jackson Browne (Electra Asylum, 1985);

“Beyond The Night Sky: Lullabies for Guitar,” Alex DeGrassi   (EarthBeat! 1996)

“The World's Getting Loud,” Alex DeGrassi (Windham Hill Records, 1993).

“Leap of Faith,” Kenny Loggins (Columbia Records, 1992)

“Watchfire,” with Pete Sears, Jerry García and others, 1988.
 (Redwood, 1988)

“Conferring with the Moon,” William Ackerman (Windham Hill Records, 1986)

“William Ackerman: A Windham Hill Retrospective”
(Windham Hill, 1993),

“Guitarras,” Strunz & Farah  (Fantasy, 1985);

“Simply Love: The Women's Music Collection,” Holly Near
(Calico Tracks Music, 2000)

“Edge,” Holly Near  (Calico Tracks Music, 2000)

“Andares,” Rafael Manriquez, (1989)
 
 “Canto a Gabriela,”  Rafael Manriquez, (1985) 
 
“La Travesía,” by Rafael Manriquez, (2000) 
 
“Canto al Poeta,” Rafael Manríquez and David Barrows,  (Hounds of Renown Music 2001)

“Grupo Raíz: Anthology 1980-1984”  (Grupo Raíz, 2002,)

Double CD including the albums:
“Un Solo Camino” (Rebellion Records,  1980)
“Amaneceres” (Monitor 1981)
“Por América del Centro” (Monitor 1983)