BIRTHDAY WISHES: Giovanni Hidalgo was born today in 1963 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Legendary percussionist, educator, and conguero extraordinaire, Giovanni Hidalgo grew up in home filled with the drums, bongos, congas and timbales used by his father and grandfather, both musicians themselves, and educated in Latin rhythms since childhood. The son of noted percussionist Jose Mañengue Hidalgo, Gio was already playing on a home made conga crafted by his father from a wooden barrel when he was just eight years old. As a teen, he regularly walked to local gigs with his congas strapped to his back. Gio first became popular outside his native Puerto Rico in the early 1980s. In 1981, he went to Cuba to work with Afro-Cuban outfit Batacumbele. There he met a musician by the name of José Luis Quintana Changuito. Changuito and Gio each had a tremendous impact on each others playing. Together they were able to create a unique style of rhythm and ushered in a new musical era in Latin music. Subsequently Gios incredibly innovative playing on Batacumbeles debut album in 1981 gave Gio instant prominence among musicians around the world. Gios reputation as a conguero grew, and by the mid 80s he was playing with Eddie Palmieri and many of the best Latin players in New York. It was then he met Dizzy Gillespie who was so impressed by his talent, he would be asked to join the United Nations Jazz Orchestra in 1988. He stayed and toured with Dizzy for several years. In 1992 he was on the staff at the Berklee School of Music in Boston, where he became a percussion professor until 1996. In 1991, Gio received a Grammy Award in the category of World Music (the first year the category existed) for his role on Mickey Harts Planet Drum. In 1992, he released his first solo effort, “Villa Hidalgo. He also performed on the Arturo Sandoval album Danzon (Dance On) which won the 1995 Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Performance, and received Grammy nominations in the same category for the albums Hands of Rhythm in 1997 and The Body Acoustic in 2005. In 2009 he collaborated with Hart again as part of the Global Drum Project, whose title album won the world music Grammy that year. Over the years, Gio has worked with a diverse group of artists including Bola Abimbola, Sikiru Adepoju, Art Blakey, Alex Acuña, Armando Peraza, Airto Moreira, Eddie Palmieri, Rebeca Mauleón, Brian Lynch, Arturo Sandoval, Paquito d’ Rivera, Dizzy Gillespie, Horacio Hernandez, Ignacio Berroa, Hilton Ruiz, Muruga Booker, Jack Bruce, Don Byron, Michel Camilo, Sammy Hagar, Kip Hanrahan, Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Cassius Khan, Phish, Tito Puente, Paul Simon, and Dangelo. As an innovative artist, Geo has developed hIs own unique lines of signature percussion instruments and accessories, including congas and bongos in conjunction with Latin Percussion, signature synthetic conga and bongo drumheads with Evans Drumheads, and signature timbale drumsticks with Zildjian Cymbals. “I am in synchronization with life, with people, with nature. I try to be a part of all the things people do in the world so my music can give them strength, love, and faith. My gift to others is my love of music, and I will give it until I die.” - Giovanni Hidalgo
Posted on: Sat, 22 Nov 2014 14:59:48 +0000