Horacio Hernandez

Horacio " El Negro" Hernandez ( born April 24, 1963 in Havana ) is a Cuban drummer and percussionist. He has contributed to fuse Cuban rhythms with current jazz and rock music.

Life and work

Hernandez comes from a musical family: his grandfather played the trumpet traditional Cuban music, among other things, for the Septeto Nacional. His father was a renowned music journalist who presented the radio jazz programs, his brothers Papito, Kike and Felo Hernández are bassists. He studied at the Music Faculty of the Escuela Nacional de Arte ( National Art School ) and became a master student of Enrique Plá, drummer of Irakere. In 1986 he was one of the most important session musicians in Cuba.

He became internationally known companions of Gonzalo Rubalcaba. 1990, he applied on a tour in Italy for political asylum and played and later taught at the drum center " Timba" in Rome. Then he moved to New York City, where he was hired within a few days of Paquito D' Rivera for recording of the album Forty Years of Cuban Jam Sessions. He then worked with Michel Camilo, Dave Valentin and with and with the TropiJazz All-Stars. He was also involved in the uptake of some albums that received Grammy awards, such as Carlos Santana's Supernatural ( 1999), Alejandro Sanz ' No es lo mismo (2003) and Eddie Palmieri lists here ( 2005). As a member of the band Roy Hargrove Crisol he won in 1997 for the album " Habana " his first Grammy, for his second album Michel Camilo Live at the Blue Note, jointly recorded with Camilo and bassist Charles Flores.

Together with Robby Ameen, he presented two recordings. Since 2004, he performed with his band Italuba, which was also nominated for a Grammy, and since 2011 with The New World Order. At the Modern Drummer Festival 's he has repeatedly played solo performances. He has repeatedly worked with Kip Hanrahan and recorded with numerous musicians such as Jack Bruce, Joanne Brackeen, Gary Burton, David Kinkade, Uli Lenz and David Sánchez. In 2012, he was heard with the WDR Big Band Cologne in the program A Night In Havana.