Alex Acuña
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Alex Acuña
- Genres: Jazz
Biography
Peruvian drummer and percussionist Alex Acuna learned trumpet and piano from his father, while teaching himself the rudiments of drumming. He became a studio musician in Lima at 16, and joined Prez Prado's band in 1964, coming with them to Las Vegas. Acuna worked from 1966-1975 as a studio musician in Puerto Rico and Los Angeles as well as Las Vegas, then joined Weather Report. He alternated roles there during his two-year stint, splitting time between being their percussionist and drummer. Acuna made two albums with Weather Report, among them the hugely successful Heavy Weather, before leaving. He formed his own band, Koinoni, in 1980. Acuna has not attained the high profile of other Latin percussionists like Airto or Nana Vasconcelos, but has a lengthy list of professional credits, including recording dates with Clare Fischer, Ella Fitzgerald, Tania Maria, Chick Corea, Paco De Lucia and Joni Mitchell, plus a stint in guitarist Lee Ritenour's group. He's merged traditional Peruvian and modern Latin rhythms into a charged personal style that also reflects the influence of Elvin Jones and Tony Williams, among others. His current band has recorded for JVC, and mixes Afro-Latin and Latin jazz with funk and fusion. ~ Ron Wynn, RoviRelated Videos:
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Alex Acuña
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Alex Acuña
| Alex Acuña | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Alejandro Neciosup Acuña |
| Born | December 12, 1944 Peru |
| Genres | Jazz, jazz fusion, afro-cuban jazz |
| Occupations | Drummer, percussionist, teacher |
| Instruments | Percussion |
| Associated acts | Perez Prado, Weather Report, Koinonia |
Alejandro Neciosup Acuña aka Alex Acuña (born December 12, 1944)[1] is a Peruvian drummer and percussionist, in the Afro-Cuban jazz style.
Born in Pativilca, Peru, Acuña played in local bands from the age of ten, and moved to Lima as a teenager. At the age of eighteen he joined the band of Perez Prado, and in 1967 he moved to Puerto Rico. In 1974 Acuña moved to Las Vegas, working with artists such as Elvis Presley and Diana Ross, and the following year he joined the jazz-fusion group Weather Report, appearing on the albums Black Market and Heavy Weather. Acuña left Weather Report in 1978, and became a session musician in California, recording and playing live with (amongst many others) Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Ella Fitzgerald, Jim Walker, Chick Corea, Whitney Houston, Plácido Domingo, Phil Keaggy, Sergeant Petter, Sam Phillips, former Weather Report bandmates Wayne Shorter and Joe Zawinul, Herbie Hancock, Carlos Santana, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Beck, Roberta Flack, U2, and Al Jarreau. He can be found on recordings by musicians as culturally diverse as Javier Malosetti, Lee Ritenour, Peter Gabriel, Johnny Clegg, Robbie Robertson, Jackson Browne and Flavio Sala.
In the 1980s Acuña also recorded and toured with the Christian jazz band Koinonia, which featured session musicians Abraham Laboriel, Justo Almario, Hadley Hockensmith, Harlan Rogers, and Bill Maxwell. He played on Willy DeVille's Crow Jane Alley album and in 1987 he teamed up with Elvis Presley's TCB Band for the Roy Orbison TV special "A Black and White Night". He played percussion on Blondie's number one hit "The Tide Is High".
He has also worked as an educator at University of California, Los Angeles and Berklee College of Music.
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Contents
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Selected discography
- (1976) Black Market - Weather Report
- (1977) Heavy Weather - Weather Report
- (1979) No One Home - Lalo Schifrin
- (1989) Kilowatt - Kazumi Watanabe - Percussion
- (1987) Walkin' on Air - Bobbysocks! - Percussion
- (1992) Thinking of You - Alex Acuña and the Unknowns
- (1992) Worship with Don Moen - Don Moen - Percussion
- (1992) Out of the Cradle - Lindsey Buckingham - Percussion
- (1993) Rejoice Africa - Lionel Peterson - Percussion
- (1993) We Are One - Tom Inglis - Percussion
- (1994) Trust in the Lord - Live Worship with Don Moen - Don Moen - Drums and Percussion
- (1994) God Is Able - Ron Kenoly - Drums and Percussion
- (1994) As For My House - Rick and Cathy Riso - Percussion
- (1995) Men In Worship - Jack Hayford - Percussion
- (1995) Sing Out with One Voice - Ron Kenoly -Percussion
- (2000) Acuarela de Tambores - Alex Acuña (Grammy nominee)
- (2002) Los Hijos del Sol: To My Country - Alex Acuña
- (2005) No accent - Alex Acuña and the Unknowns
- (2011) Heritage - Opeth - Percussion on 'Famine'
Awards
- Best Latin/Brazilian Percussionist, Modern Drummer's Readers Poll.
References
- ^ Collins, Catherine; Kernfeld, Barry (2002). "Acuña, Alex". In Barry Kernfeld. The new Grove dictionary of jazz (2nd ed.). New York: Grove's Dictionaries Inc.. pp. 11-12. ISBN 1561592846.
External links
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Mentioned in
Salsa Picante
(1978 Album by Clare Fischer)
The Very Best of Chris Botti
(2002 Album by Chris Botti)
Lee Ritenour and Friends: Overtime
(Music Film)
Heavy Weather
(1977 Album by Weather Report)
» More