Bio
Roberto Arballo Loreto, better known as “Betuco” was born in Mazatlan City in the Mexican State of Sinaloa. He began his studies at Mazatleco Institute of Fine Arts at the age of seven, studying simultaneously piano, music theory and painting. It may sound strange that he didn’t begin his musical studies with guitar but it was natural for him to switch to it as he grew up in a house with luthier’s workshop and under influence of his father who was also a professional guitarist.
By the time he was 12, he had become a professional musician working in one of the most famous orchestra of the region and soon he began touring with a group of Panamanian singers called “Gay Crooners”.
Afterward, he moved to United States to continue his study of harmony and musical ensemble where he attended several courses at UCSD (University of California, San Diego). Meanwhile, he continued his career accompanying American pop pianists, Roger Williams. After some period of playing with Roger Williams, he was invited to play as a band member of Frank Sinatra in Budokan Hall in Tokyo Japan, which happened because both Roger Williams and Frank Sinatra were under the same management.
On his return to Mexico in 1975, he began to have a series of success as an arranger, composer and musical director of the most important Mexican broadcaster “Televisa”. In Televisa he was responsible for creating music of various productions including “Los Ricos También Lloran (The Rich Also Cry)” and “El Derecho de Nacer (The Right to Be Born)”, two of the most popular soap operas at that time. Besides creating music for TV productions, he continued his activities as a recording guitarist participating in a great number of recordings of important singers.
Later he moved again to the United States to improve his skills and knowledge at the Dick Grove School of Music based in Los Angeles where he continued his study of guitar, music theory, harmony, sight-reading, ear training, composition, ensemble, orchestration, instrumentation, musical notation and musical styles. Though he started as a common student, soon he ended up as an assistant teacher. In this period, he deepened his interest in jazz composition and improvisation, which led him to connect with many of the active and important jazz musicians whom he started to play with; among them are Abraham Laboriel, Alex Acuña, Don Grusin, Luis Conte, Brandon Fields, Harvey Mason and the great Brasilian Master, Moacir Santos.
From 1985 to 1990 he was appointed musical director for the Los Angeles chapter of the festival OTI, international singing competition held annually with the participation of active member countries of the Iberoamerican Television Organization “OTI” (Organización de Telecomunicaciones Iberoamericanas). He achieved to organize an orchestra with many of the most brilliant and gifted talents of Los Angeles because of his fantastic relation with them.
While his stay in Los Angeles, he formed his own group “Wet Paint” with which he developed his own musical language mixing elements of jazz, rock, funk, latin and R&B. Through the years, even after his return to Mexico and until today, he has been keeping this project alive. Beside the performance of the group itself, he also has produced different activities based on this group as the one called “Jazzerata”. As the very name of this project suggests, in this project he combines the sound of jazz and fusion of “Wet Paint” with the classical sound of a Camerata (small chamber orchestra).
In 2003, he was in charge of the artistic management of newly opened jazz venue “PapaBeto” in Mexico City. PapaBeto turned into the most important and active jazz place of Latin America and based on this place, he organized his own big band named PapaBeto’s Big Band. In 2005, PapaBeto’s Big Band performed with one of the most important Japanese jazz pianist, composer and arranger, Makoto Ozone as its guest director and pianist. Although the venue closed in 2010, the project of this Big Band sill continues. For this big band’s performances, he always gives priority to play tunes of local composers and arrangers. This proves his commitment and contribution to the local music society.
Actually, he continues his activities mainly based on his group Wet Paint and PapaBeto’s Big Band. Besides playing guitar, those projects keep him constantly writing new compositions and arrangements. In addition, he participates in the projects of his fellow musicians as a guitarist while keeping his reputation as one of the most important recording guitarist and arranger for commercial music.
