About Me
*********Immersed in the experience of creation*********Born from Cuban parents and raised in Miami Florida's "Little Havana", Mario grew up surrounded by the sounds of Latino-Caribbean culture. After trading his skateboard for a bass guitar at age 15, Mario began his study of groove and spirit, aided and abetted along the way by his influences, role models, and other suspicious characters.Mario was active in the Miami music scene from a very early age. He played in various groups ranging in diverse styles, from latin jazz, funk and blues, to noise, punk, and electronica. He was a member for over 10 years in Miami based art/music/mayhem collective The Curious Hair. Mario left Miami in 2004, briefly collaborating with singer/songwriters in the Virginia/DC area, then moving to Costa RIca for a year stint playing in Oregon bluesman's GC Blues Cool Azul Band.Mario settled in New York in 2006 and quickly began to collaborate on projects ranging from dub/electronica band 0nezero0ne, art-rock shaman Chris Bono's Ghost Against Ghost, pop singers Leah Martin and Ashley Mounts, and was a founding member of New York kirtan ensemble Japa Kirtan Band. He also creates the soundscape and hypnotic pulse for LaurieG's Full Moon Yoga Flow&Glow gatherings, providing donations of the profits to local charities.His most recent projects include AOA (astronautsofantiquity.com) and Brooklyn based My Pet Dragon.Steadfast in his efforts to evolve spiritually and musically, Mario has taken himself to masters of both disciplines, Venerable Lobsang Chunzom, Ustad Kadar Khan, and gotham funk guru Buster Hemphill.
