| I got hooked on MUSIC since I can remember spinning old school and funk albums from my Dad, and more addicted to SOUND when they invented the Walkman. Soon after I saw girl do a drum solo for me during a trip to LA, I started playing drums and when I was 14yrs old, Phil Collins with Genesis and Alex Van Halen got me to really practice. The first things I did on drums live where mostly to support Broadway type of musicals for high school back in Bogota, Colombia where I was born. Then at 16 I was already playing clubs, bars and did pretty well recording for TV and radio commercial music before drum machines took over. When I turned 18 I founded the band "Vertigo" with Jose F Cortes (guitar), and after some lineup changes we continued the project for years with Gustavo Barrera as the lead singer to what became one of the most renowned blues-rock bands in Colombia |
Around the same time I went to the Javeriana University to study classical guitar because there was no drum program. I dig the guitar a lot and it was a way to get into an accredited college and also a chance to learn theory and reading. After a while I left college to pursue a career as a session player or something more involved into entertainment and popular music. So I did a few gigs with pop artists like Compania Ilimitada that got me back to playing to a sequence like in high school. |
Around the same time, I started teaching drums to a couple of kids that were serious about drumming, and discovered how much improvement it brought to my own playing. A few months later and with much demand, I was almost turning into a drum school so I had to cut back and keep a few students and become a student myself learning Colombian percussion. Afro-Colombian percussion became one of my main influences and as a folkloric expression, it has no academy so performing with so many folkloric percussionists was really what taught me the rhythms of the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of Colombia, but mostly the few lessons I had the luck to have from Gilbert Martinez (percussionist for Carlos Vives, Bloque, Gaira, and so many more) on tambor alegre and the maracas, and his brother Frederick Martinez on tambora. |
In 1995 "Rock al Parque" rock festival was created and stills stands as the most important and biggest one in Latin America. A 3 day free rock festival funded by the city that began just in time for Vertigo's new lineup and soon to be released album. By it's 3rd edition the band was no longer in the contest but invited to play as a major act to headline along other acts brought from other countries like Divididos, Manu Chao, Robi Draco Rosa, Desorden Publico, etc. |
In a country where obviously Latin music is the mainstream we managed to surivive without a record deal and right before going to the studio I got endorsed by an amazing drum maker: Premier. |
In 2002 moved to Phoenix Arizona where I played for a short period with the family's band "Pazport", where I had the chance of playing Latin grooves and stay in touch with my roots. Currently I am recording Independently my first Album as a solo artist "MORO". |
| Other past musical projects include , Regadera, a Reggae band that still plays back in Colombia and project put together by one of my favorite singers, Jimena Angel along session players for various popular artists from Colombia like Andres Cepeda, Carlos Vives and others. El Tarot, an old school funk band with a horn section taken out of latin orchestras that gave me the chance to play with more than 10 people. |
