gikamo

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Hey, I am a Cuban musician graduated from the “Escuela Nacional de Arte” in Camagüey, Cuba, as a percussion teacher. I was a student and disciple of José Luis “Changuito” Quintana, my teacher and friend for many years, and with whom I had the opportunity to play while traveling to Spain with Enrique Álvarez's orchestra in 1998. While I lived in Cuba I had the privilege of learning and studying under many great bataleros and rumberos such as Cristobal Larrinaga, from Conjunto Clave y Guaguancó, under whose teaching and support, I, along with Wilmer Ferrán founded the rumba group Rumbatá, or as we were known in Havana, Clave y Guaguancó’s god-children. I also studied with batá masters, Amador and Fran Miclin. I am a sworn bata drummer (Omo Añá, or child of Añá, the deity that lives in the batá drum) from the bata set by the name Obbá Nidiyé, that belongs to the Obba Héctor López, from Camagüey. Through the years I had he opportunity to count as my students some great Cuban drummers, among them, Gretchen Pineda , currently living and playing in Spain, Yansser Cardozo , currently living and playing in Germany, Idael Soles “el pulpo”, from the rumba group Rumbatá, and many others.