Musicians
Greg Askew – Bronx, New York – Greg Askew, a product of Harbor Performing Arts Center, studied with Reggie Tyler, Louis Bauzo & Alex Giglio among others. He recorded with Orchestra Yambu and played on Danilo Perez “Motherland” album. He performed with Tito Puente, Roberto Borrell y su Kubata and Felipe Garcia; he is currently performing with Caribbean dance troupes “Patakin” and “Carambu.”
Louis Bauzo – Brooklyn, New York – Born in Puerto Rico, Louis Bauzo attended Julliard School of Music and studied in Africa, Puerto Rico and Cuba. He has been a professional musician for over thirty years. A member of the Tito Puente Orchestra for seven years during the 1970′s, he has performed and/or recorded with Dizzy GIllespie, Machito, Mario Bauza, Eddie Palmieri, Mongo Santamaria, Johnny Pacheco, Larry Harlow, Celia Cruz, Cachao, Paul Simon, Manhattan Transfer, Joe Jackson, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, Babatunde Olatunji, Ladji Camara, Katherine Dunham and the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, among others.
Mario Monaco – Queens, New York – Born in Montreal (Canada), Mario started playing Drum Set on his 8th birthday and became a full time player at the age of fourteen playing mostly North American Music. In his 20’s, he moved to Brazil and spent 8 years in São Paulo absorbing the Music. Besides being an incredible drummer, Mario plays also percussion. He is most recognized for his dedication and musical abilities in the variety of Brazilian rhythms. He has performed with Al Di Meola, Paul Winter and Sambeamba, and has recorded with Claude Dubois, Querubim Samba, and Mamadou Baye, to name a few. Mario is currently living in New York City.
Sergio Martínez – (Madrid, Spain, born 1977) is one of the most influential and international Flamenco percussionists today. After more than 20 years touring around the world with some of the most important Flamenco artists, Sergio moved to Boston where he graduated from Berklee College of Music and Berklee Global Jazz Institute. He studied drums and percussion with Jamey Haddad, Casey Scheuerell, Mike Rinquist, Ralph Peterson and many other percussion masters. Afterwards he transfered to Valencia, where he got his Masters Degree at Berklee College of Music Valencia Campus where he is currently part of the Faculty team, teaching Flamenco Percussion and ensembles. Some of his collaborations include artists such as Paul Simon, Al di Meola, El Cigala, José Mercé, Niña Pastori, Jorge Pardo, Pepe de Lucía, Ballet nacional de España, some of the most important Flamenco dancers, singers and guitarists, such as Mario Maya, Merche Esmeralda, Antonio Canales or Rocío Molina, Chano Lobato, Diego el Cigala, Montse Cortés, Niña Pastori, Diego Morao, Manolo Sanlucar. He also has references in the contemporary Jazz world e.g. Danilo Pérez, John Patitucci, Terri Lyne Carrington, Ben Street, Joe Lovano, and George Garzone. He also appeared with Flamenco Jazz artists such as Jorge Pardo, Alain Perez, Javier Colina, Perico Sambeat or Antonio Serrano. Sergio has recorded on more than 50 albums and is a band leader of his own projects and he has one Grammy nomination with José Mercé. He is very involved in the community, designing and working on creative/educational projects in disadvantaged areas, in different places of the world. Since 2018 he is a member of the Al di Meola Acoustic Quartet and Perico Sambeat Flamenco Quartet. (He plays www.camarada.eu cajóns, and LP instruments). Instagram @sergiomartinezmusic – Facebook
José Manuel León – (Algeciras, Cádiz) is a musician and producer. He started playing the guitar at the age of thirteen with his father, a professional guitar player. He worked with artists like José el Francés, Niña Pastori, Alejandro Sánz, Pastora Soler, Miguel Angel Rodríguez or Queco. In the Teatro Real of Madrid he performed with the International Flamenco artists Gerardo Núñez and Cármen Linares in the opening of the “Un ramito de locura“. He also appeared with other flamenco artists like Rafael Estévez, Nani Paños, Joaquín Grilo, La Moneta. He played in the famous filmmaker’s Carlos Saura film “Iberia”, based on the figure of Albéniz. For his 2006 guitar album Sirimusa he won the award of “best Flamenco artist” in the Flamenco ́s Critic National Awards. The work opened at the Flamenco ́s Biennale of Sevilla in 2006. During the next season he did collaborations with different artist like Cámen Linares and Encarna Anillo y several foros at the 2007 Jerez Festival or Málaga in Flamenco 2007. After introducing Sirimusa in 2008 at the Jeréz Festival, he kept playing with Cármen Linares while working on a new fusion project with Flamenco and Jazz, with Kike Perdomo, Martín Leiton y Borja Barrueta. He made an electronic version of Sirimusa with the experimental musician Artomatico. His latest project with Mujer Klórica just opened, leaded by the flamenco singer Alicia Carrasco and special guests Carmen Linares, Tomasito, Leonor Leal, Diego Carrasco and jazz musicians Jerry González, Kike Perdomo, Martín Leiton and Borja Barrueta. At the moment he is working on his second album.
Rafael Vargas, “El Chino” – Flamenco singer born in Madrid in 1969, son of the great singer Miguel Vargas el Bolero was raised in the famous Flamenco neighbourhood of Cañorroto. Rafael is a virtuoso with an unique voice. He is collaborates with some of the most important artists in the international Flamenco scene. e.g. Enrique Morente Duquende, Potito, Remedios Amaya, Montse Cortés, José el Francés o Guadiana. He has also accompanies dancers like Farruquito, El Farru or Antonio Canales performing in important theatres and Festivals e.g. Teatro Real de Madrid or Festival Flamenco de Jerez and Bienal Flamenca de Sevilla. He is involved in Flamenco related educational activities with Berklee College of Music in Valencia Campus. Rafael leads the Flamenco fusion project Rafael Vargas Quintet.
Marcos Napa – Clifton, New Jersey – Marcos Augusto Napa Ormeño, was born in Lima, Peru. He dedicated his life to Afro-Peruvian music and dance and made his debut as a professional percussionist in Ballet Perú Negro. After a brilliant career with Ballet Peru Negro, he performed with great Peruvian artists such as Eva Ayllon, Juan Castro Nally, Cecilia Bracamonte, Lucila Campos, Mariela Valencia and Maria del Carmen Dongo. Currently, Marcos teaches Afro Peruvian Dance at Pachamama Peruvian Arts in Queens, NY and directs his Afro Peruvian Music and Dance Group: “Caracumbe”. marcosnapa.com
Oswald Simmonds – Irvington, New Jersey – Mr. Simmonds began his musical career in Spanish Harlem New York City at the Boriqua Workshop, under the tutelage of John Mason and the Quiñonez brothers. He later furthered his studies with Chief James Hawthorne Bey in Queens New York, at the Bernice Johnson dance School. Following this experience, he joined the International African American Ballet, where he studied the music, dance & songs of the Old Mali Empire West Africa, with Olukose Wiles, John Blandford, Rhonda Morman and Hazel Starks-Bryant. He became Co-founder and Associate Director for both the Body Forms Dance and Fitness Studio in Jersey City, New Jersey and the African Performing Arts and Culture Center, of Newark New Jersey. He has performed and recorded with many musical groups and dance companies. Mr. Simmonds is a former consultant for the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Artist in Residence Program, and Adjunct faculty member of the New Jersey City University.
Reynaldo Alcantara – Cliffside Park, New Jersey – Born and raised on the Caribbean island of the Dominican Republic, Reynaldo Alcantara considers himself a great lover of all that is folkloric music from many countries but especially from the islands of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and his native home of Dominican Republic. He studied folkloric music with Master Teachers Louis Bauzo and Alfredo Coyude. In addition, Reynaldo has professionally played Salsa for over forty years and has had the privilege of playing and professionally recording music with various bands like El Conjunto Saoco, Yambu, Nino Segarra, Paquito Guzman, David Forestier, Loas Hermanos Colon, Cano Estremeda, Tricoche, Billy Carrion, Luisito Carrion to name just a few.
Richard Byrd – Bloomfield, New Jersey – Richard Byrd, native of New Jersey, has traveled around the world perfecting his craft as a Drummer and Akponni . He has had the distinction of performing consistently with Babatunde Olatunji, Ladji Camara, Chuck Davis, Charles Moore Dance Co. and Chief Bey. He was also the founder and director of Dundu Dole, a West African Dance troupe. His constant study has afforded him the distinction of being one of the better Djembe Drummers and all around Percussionist. His wide range of talents allows him to be proficient on many types of drums, including the Bata, Congas, Sangba, Djundjun, Sabar, Ashiko, as well as a wide variety of percussion instruments, such as Shekere, and Agogo bells. Richard’s dedication has led him to become one of the leading Akponni’s in the Yoruba tradition. Richard has also worked with Jimmy McGriff, Tito Puente, Sun Ra Arkestra, Cecil McBee, and Charles Earland.
Rudy Walker – Orange, New Jersey – Tasty, powerful, dynamic, steady…these are only a few of the adjectives that have been used to describe the technique and performance of drummer, Rudy Walker. Since the age of seven, Rudy’s natural attraction to percussion has been in evidence. Starting on the snare drum was the beginning of mastering the entire drum set, and watching a performance by Billy Brooks set a burning desire in motion. With a career that spans thirty years of performance, recording and teaching, Mr. Walker takes tremendous pride in his contributions to making music with such notables as Sir Roland Hanna, Walter Davis, Jr., Randy Weston, Pharaoh Saunders, Lou Donaldson, Sonny Fortune, Bobby Watson, Andy Bey, Gloria Lynn, Amiri Baraka and Jimmy Scott. Throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, Africa and Japan, Mr. Walker has made music with many of the best musicians in the world, whether high profiled or local legends, music that spans the spectrum of style and craft. www.rudywalker.com
Victor Rendon – Drummer/percussionist Victor Rendón is a highly respected educator, author, and veteran of the New York City Latin music scene. He has studied intensively for many years with Jimmy Ramirez, Dr. Rosemary Small, Louie Bauzo, John Almendra, “Little” Ray Romero, Frankie Malabe, Mike Collazo Sr., Pablo Rosario, Changuito, Roberto Borrell, John Amira, Morris “Arnie” Lang, as well as jazz drummers Paul Guerrero, Henry Okstel, & Charli Persip among others. He has worked as a side man with Mongo Santamaria, Chico O’Farrill, Carlos “Patato” Valdés, Ray Santos Orchestra, Grupo Caribe, Latin Jazz Coalition, The “New” Xavier Cugat Orchestra, Grupo Latin Vibe, Los Mas Valientes, Rudy Calzado, and many others. As an author/transcriber, his work has appeared in Modern Drummer, Percussive Notes, LP Newsletter, Music in Motion Films, DCI Music Video, Drum! Magazine, and Warner Bros. Publications. He is author of The Art of Playing Timbales distributed by Alfred Publishing. For several years Victor also published his own semi-annual magazine, Latin Percussionist. Rendón, who holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of North Texas and a Masters degree in education from Hunter College, has had a lengthy career teaching instrumental music and Latin percussion in the New York City Public Schools. Formerly co-leader of the Rodríguez/Rendón Latin Jazz Orchestra, he now leads the Bronx Conexión Latin Jazz Big Band and the percussion group: Co-Tim-Bó. Currently, he teaches and directs the Latin Jazz Ensemble at Lehman College in the Bronx. A successful clinician, he conducts workshops in Latin percussion styles. Mr. Rendón is an LP, Sabian, Vic Firth, and Evans performing artist and educator. www.victorrendon.com – www.bronxconexionlatinjazz.com
Ensemble – live performance – from left to right: Louis Bauzo, Thomas Beato, Jérôme Goldschmidt, Richard Byrd, Ray Alcantara, Tomaso Santiago, Alex Gueron, Barry Duke, Greg Askew.
Luiz Ebert – Queens, New York – Luiz Ebert, drummer and percussionist, is a native of Brasília, Brazil, He has developed a vocabulary blend of drumming with percussive sensitivity all his own. Combining the innovative concepts of jazz music with traditional elements of Brazilian music creates a unique sonic palette that propels music in different directions. Luiz Ebert currently resides in New York City, where he works with some of the most talented upcoming jazz artists , as well as some established Brazilian artist such as pianist Cidinho Teixeira and bassist Leco Reis.
Sebastian Laverde – is a Colombian producer and musician, and currently the studio director of Jazztone Studios in Valencia Spain. He has more than 10 years recording experience as a producer and some of his credits include being amongst the first recording musicians to record traditional Colombian music in the history of the iconic Abbey Road Studios. He has worked as a producer and musician with artists such as Latin Grammy recipients Andres Cepeda, Maria Isabel Saavedra, and several other Latin and international jazz and popular artists.
