There’s a long list of influential musicians in the Latin Jazz world, but there’s a short list of musicians that single-handedly altered the course of the music. Important composers have changed formal structures in Latin Jazz, injecting traditional rhythms with jazz harmonies and different beliefs about improvisation. These musicians are known for their individual contributions to the music, but in reality, their discoveries came from years of experimentation, trial, and error. Once they heard musicians play their music, they would make changes, slightly tweaking their concept until they pushed things in a new direction. Significant bandleaders have lead the way into genre altering performance approaches, creating new artistic settings and pursuing the music through different contexts. These band leaders brought new ideas out of their sidemen and formed new collectives that showed the world a completely different view of Latin Jazz. While these individuals may have delivered the concept, they required the collaborative effort of their band mates to bring it to life – their ideas only came to fruition through the collective workshop efforts of their band. When we think of most major figures in the Latin Jazz world, we remember the work that they did in collaboration with their peers – in all cases, this work represents an admirable task. Still, the few individuals that took the Latin Jazz world and turned it upon its ear represent major milestones in the history’s music.

Giovanni Hidalgo was born in Puerto Rico forty seven years ago today on March 9, 1963, coming into the world destined to change the percussion world forever. Born in a house full of drummers, Hidalgo spent his childhood immersed in percussion instruments and rhythmic ideas. He practiced technical elements of the music and soaked in both folkloric and popular music, developing into a strong performer at an early age. He joined the innovative Puerto Rican salsa band Batacumbele in 1980 and quickly became a major part of their sound, as evidenced on important recordings from the band. In 1981, Hidalgo traveled with the band to Cuba and met the influential Cuban drummer José Luis Quintana, “Changuito.” The two musicians formed a quick bond, pushing each other into new heights of instrumental technique and artistic application. By the mid-eighties, Hidalgo’s technique had evolved into a completely new approach to the conga drums – from this point on, it’s pretty easy to classify conga technique before and after Hidalgo. The appeal of his music was not simply about technique though; Hidalgo displayed an unflappable musicality – a fact recognized by Eddie Palmieri, who hired the drummer in 1985. A few years later, Hidalgo became a vital member of Dizzy Gillespie’s United Nations Orchestra, making an important connection with the jazz legend. Over the years, Hidalgo became a smart band leader, recording several releases that highlighted his ability to complement the music through percussion. He joined Candido Camero and Carlos “Patato” Valdes to form the Conga Kings in 2000, releasing two unbelievable albums full of creative percussion work. As Hidalgo moves ahead in his career, he always guarantees awe-inspiring percussion work and an impressive dose of musicality.

In celebration of his birthday and an amazing career, we’re dedicating today’s Weekly Latin Jazz Video Fix to Giovanni Hidalgo, one of the genre’s master percussionists. Our first clip finds Hidalgo performing with a high energy group, backing up saxophonist David Sanchez and then trading riffs with drummer Henry Cole. The second video places Hidalgo in an amazing Latin Jazz descarga with harpist Edmar Castaneda, bassist John Benitez, pianist Elio Villafranca, and trombonist Reynaldo Jorge. The last snippet is a bit grainy, but it’s simply classic Hidalgo as Paquito D’Rivera features the percussionist. There’s some awe-inspiring percussionist work there from one of the best – enjoy!

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Giovanni Hidalgo Performing With David Sanchez, Henry Cole, and More

Giovanni Hidalgo Performing With Edmar Castaneda, John Benitez, Elio Villafranco, and Reynaldo Jorge

Giovanni Hidalgo Performing With Paquito D’Rivera

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Want to hear more from Giovanni Hidalgo? Check out these albums:

Villa Hidalgo

Worldwide

The Conga Kings

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Do you have a video to contribute to satisfy our weekly Latin Jazz video fix? If so, send it in – it’s time to feed our addiction. I’m looking for live performances, from any context. I’ll most likely be posting one video per week, but if you’ve got another idea, let’s talk. So come on Latin Jazz videographers, musicians, and fans – let’s share some of our memorable videos! Get my contact info HERE.

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Check Out These Related Posts:
Weekly Latin Jazz Video Fix: Orlando “Maraca” Valle And The Monterey Latin Jazz All-Stars
Latin Jazz Standards: 10 Versions Of Tin Tin Deo
10 Latin Jazz Perspectives On Miles Davis
Remembering Ralph Mercado (1941- 2009): Tropijazz All-Stars On Video

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