Artist Biographies

Jose Gonzalez

Vocals, Lead and Rhythm Guitars, Puerto Rican Cuatro

Guitarist, composer and virtuoso Cuatro player, Jose Gonzalez, is a top performer of contemporary Latin music. Acclaimed for his original compositions featuring "the Cuatro", (Puerto Rico's national instrument), his eleven self-produced recordings have become bestsellers. His music is featured on NBC, PBS, CNN, cable TV, as well as four "Putumayo World Music" CDs, the Bose Corp. "World Music"CD and the PBS "Visions of Puerto Rico" TV special.

Jose is a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico with musical performances in Mexico, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Martinique, Curacao, and the U.S.A. He has performed on stage alongside top Latin artists and musicians, such as:

actress/singer Libertad Lamarque
rock singer Sandro
singer / artist Ruben Blades
singer Braulio
singer Danny Rivera
Haciendo Punto En Otro Son
folk singer Andres Jimenez

folk singer Roy Brown
singer Lucecita Benitez
percussionist Giovanni Hidalgo
Puerto Rican rock singer Tito Auger
Los Pleneros De La 21
percussionist Paoli Mejias
pianist Eric Figueroa (Batacumbele)
percussionist Tito De Gracia
PR Guiro performer Candido Reyes
Los 4 Del Cuatro (Edwin Colon Zayas, Pedro Guzman, Quique Domenech)
bassist John Benitez
the late trumpetist Juancito Torres
salsa singer Ismael Miranda
bassist Gary Nuñez (of Plena Libre)
folk singer Antonio Caban Vale (El Topo)
Moliendo Vidrio
singer Jose Nogueras
Trio Los Andinos
pianist Emiliano Salvador
singer Carmita Jimenez
singer Sophie
poet Magdalena Gomez
poet Martin Espada
Hartford Symphony Orchestra
Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra
Bronx Arts Ensemble
New Jersey Chamber Music Society

He's performed at events and locations such as:

Heineken Jazz Festival (Puerto Rico)
World Guitar festival (Martinique)
Yale University
Princeton University
Madison Square Garden

Rene Gonzalez

Drum set, Electric and Upright Bass, Timbales, Congas, Bongos, Peruvian Cajon Vocals and Latin Percussion.

Born in 1979 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he began studying snare drum technique at the age of 6. Rene began to play professionally with Banda Criolla, at the age of 10 (at the time performing on bongos). He currently performs with Jose Gonzalez/Banda Criolla, Criollo Clasico, Sabor A Timba, The Gonzalez Bros, as well as free-lancing with various Western MA / Hartford CT groups. Although a versatile drummer of most popular and traditional styles, Rene is acknowledged for his understanding of Afro-Caribbean drum set playing and the Afro-Caribbean hand drum traditions. In the last decade, Rene has developed his ability as an electric and upright bass player, and begun learning guitar, Puerto Rican Cuatro, and piano as well. Rene has recorded five albums with Banda Criolla, Three with MarKamusic, as well as recorded with various artists, such as trombonist Brian Bender, guitarist Rafael Picorelli and guitarist Lorena Garay. He has performed in world-renowned festivals such as the Heineken Jazz Jam Series in Puerto Rico, and alongside:

percussionist Giovanni Hidalgo
ex-Irakere / NG La Banda saxophonist Carlos Averhoff
folk singer Antonio Caban Vale (El Topo)
folk singer Roy Brown
Puerto Rican rock figure Tito Auger (Fiel A La Vega)
salsa singer Ray De La Paz
salsa singer Eddie Temporal
salsa singer Jesus Pagan
Cuatro player Eligio "Prodigio" Claudio
bassist/singer Heshima
multi-instrumentalist Kevin Sharpe
multi instrumentalist Jo Sallins
trumpetist/pianist Jeff Holmes
flamenco dancer Ines Arrubla
vibraphonist/percussionist Damon Grant
drummer John Ramsay
bassist Oscar Stagnaro
folk singer Fernando Ferrer
folk singer Walter Morciglio
trumpetist Carlos DeLeon
folk singer Tao Rodriguez Seeger
saxophonist Fred Tillis
percussionist Victor Sterling
trumpetist Ray Gonzalez
Flamenco guitarist Jose Valle Fajardo "Chuscales"
jazz pianist Eugene Uman
poet Magdalena Gomez
poet Martin Espada

WITH BANDS:

Los Pleneros De La 21
Orquesta Komboloko
Orquesta Calidad
MarKamusic
Sabor A Timba
Carlos DeLeon and his Latin-Jazz Group
Kilombo
Viva Quetzal!
Brian Bender and The Pageans

For details about his performance career, visit http://www.myspace.com/gonzalezbros

Ahmed Gonzalez

Ahmed Gonzalez

Flutes, Backup vocals, percussion

Ahmed Gonzalez has been a flutist for over 15 years, focusing on Latin-American musical styles, classical music, and American Jazz. A student of Sue Kurian (herself a student of the great French flutist, Jean-Pierre Rampal), Ahmed developed a strong flute foundation in many styles, making him a versatile performer. Ahmed has recorded in numerous records, performs regularly with 5 bands in the Western MA and Hartford, CT area (Orquesta Komboloko, Criollo Clasico, Banda Criolla, MarKamusic , Sabor A Timba), and is currently promoting his own new group, The Gonzalez Bros. He has also performed alongside:

percussionist Giovanni Hidalgo
folk singer Antonio Caban Vale (El Topo)
folk singer Roy Brown
Puerto Rican rock figure Tito Auger (Fiel A La Vega)
salsa singer Ray De La Paz
salsa singer Van Lester
salsa singer Frankie Vazquez
salsa singer Eddie Temporal
salsa singer Jesus Pagan

bassist/singer Heshima
multi-instrumentalist Kevin Sharpe
multi-instrumentalist Jo Sallins
trumpetist/pianist Jeff Holmes
flamenco dancer Ines Arrubla
folk singer Fernando Ferrer
folk singer Walter Morciglio
folk singer Tao Rodriguez Seeger
bassist Alfonso "El Panameño" Joseph
percussionist/bandleader Luis Mangual
percussionist Victor Sterling
trumpetist Ray Gonzalez
Flamenco guitarist Jose Valle Fajardo "Chuscales"
poet Magdalena Gomez
poet Martin Espada

with bands:

Los Pleneros De La 21
Orquesta Komboloko
Sabor A Timba
MarKamusic
Caribe Mambo
Orquesta Costa Brava

and in the prestigious Heineken Jazz Jam Series in Puerto Rico, University of Puerto Rico, Yale University, Princeton University, University of Massachusetts-Bright Moments Festival, University of Hartford, Casa Aboy Cultural Center (PR), Puerto Rican Institute of Culture, Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico.

For details about his performance career, visit http://www.myspace.com/gonzalezbros