OMAR LEDEZMA JR.
VENEZUELA
Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, Grammy-winning Singer and Percussionist Omar Ledezma Jr. has played professionally since 17.
In 1995, Ledezma graduated from one of the most prestigious Law Schools in Caracas, but in 1998 Omar packed one bag and one drum to begin his move to Boston to study at Berklee College of Music. After graduating in 2005, he moved to the Bay Area, where today he teaches at the Community Music Center.
Omar has played, recorded, and toured with local and international artists and founded a group dedicated to the wooden box percussion instrument, the Ka-Hon Ensemble, one of the biggest stars of the Adventures In Music program of the San Francisco Symphony. In 2014, he won a Grammy with the worldwide-acclaimed Pacific Mambo Orchestra.
Omar is also a music accompanist for the San Francisco Ballet Dance In Schools and Communities (DISC) education program and a teaching artist with the Youth in Arts organization from San Rafael, California. Omar is an exclusive artist with Pearl Percussion, Pinchclip, ELH Cowbells, Remo heads, Kandu Cajons, Vater, and Soultone Cymbals.
BRAULIO BARRERA
PERU
Born in Peru Braulio Barrera started playing Peruvian folkloric music at age 5 on the Cajon, claves, bell Congas, and Bongos… Once mastering the streets of Peru, he moved to L.A. to play with Chino Espinoza and Tabaco Eron, among many others in the Salsa scene. He’s been on endless recordings playing percussion and as lead vocals.
Currently, Braulio plays with Pacific Mambo Orchestra and Montuno Swing weekly. You can hear Braulio's percussion and Lead Vocals on a brand New Track by Montuno Swing written and Produced by Christian Tumalan: Renta de Tula.
CARLITOS MEDRANO
CUBA
Carlos Medrano born in Havana, Cuba, began his musical studies by teaching himself to play Bongos and Congas using traditional Cuban music and Rumba as his guide. After a few years of studying, experience, and having participated in folkloric musical projects and timba, also known as Cuban Salsa, he decided to broaden his musical knowledge by beginning a course of musical studies in the Escuela de Superacion Profesional de Arte “Felix Varela y Morales” where he began to create his foundation for Latin Jazz fusion within other musical projects in Cuba. He remembers with great satisfaction and happiness having been a student of famous international Cuban percussionists such as Jose Antonio Oviedo, Ignacio Jarabe Martinez, Eliel Lazo Linares, Yaroldy Abreu, José Luis Quintana, also known as Changuito.Before arriving to the United States in March 2008, he worked with a well- known pianist from Cuba, Alexis Bosch. Since then, he has been working with several bands in Sonoma County (Batacha and Carlos Herrera Band) and the Bay Area (Pellejo Seco, Delbert Bump & Sazil Band, Yancie Taylor, Jesus Diaz & Latin Ensemble, Boleros y Mas, Ruben Gonzalo, T-Mambo, Mision Barrio Project, and Fito Reinoso). Performances include: San Jose Jazz Festival; 2009 Cuba Caribe Festival held in San Francisco celebrating Cuban folklore; the 2010 San Francisco Carnival; and the 2011 Benecia Jazz Festival and Russian River Jazz and Blues Festival.