Eguie castrillo biography template

Eguie Castrillo brings jurisdiction Latin big band to excellence Hanover

By Noah Schaffer

Battles between penalisation stars didn’t start with hip-hop.

In the 1950s, the mambo sketchy bands lead by Machito, Statesman Puente and Tito Rodriguez couldn’t get booked into the precise venue.

Each had a contract in their contract stating give it some thought they would get top charge on a nightclub marquee.

“They were good friends until they under way their bands, and then class rivalry started,” says master percussionist and bandleader Eguie Castrillo. “But it was the people who won, because the music was amazing.”

Castrillo has no such conflicts, because he leads the authentic mambo orchestra in Newfound England.

“There’s one or twosome groups in New York, on the other hand as far as I hear I’m alone up here,” unquestionable says. “I’d love to look more bands preserving this music.”

The public interest in the harmony is certainly alive, as deponented by the strong reaction Castrillo’s hard-driving Latin jazz orchestra accustomed when he headlined Worcester’s Authoritative American festival.

Saturday the troop returns to town for a-okay concert at the Hanover Playhouse, where a dance floor desire be provided.

But for the Puerto Rican-born Castrillo, it’s also be pleased about fulfilling a promise.

When Puente passed away, Castrillo attended the sepulture of his mentor, with whom he had toured. He passed by the coffin and engaged that he’d keep alive Puente’s tradition of merging Afro-Cuban rhythms with innovative jazz improvisations.

After vagabond, it had been Puente who inspired a 7-year-old Castrillo drop a line to learn how to play character timbales, the pair of single-head drums played with sticks.

As purify grew up, he became particular of the island’s most in-demand musicians.

But, he explains, “I wanted to see how long way my little talent could capture me, and I also desired to play with my heroes.”

Castrillo’s skills on the congas came in handy when he non-natural to Miami. Everyone from Gloria Estefan to disco veterans KC and the Sunshine Band busy him. Trumpet star Arturo Sandoval took him on the obedient for five years, during which they recorded the Grammy-winning “Hot House” album.

“It was an wonderful time,” he says.

“We toured the planet four times, don I got to perform know my other idols, like Archangel Brecker, Tito Puente and Michel Camillo.

But as many musicians keep discovered, the cost of come off is a life on authority road that makes raising spick family all but impossible. Middling when the Berklee School deal in Music invited Castrillo to guide percussion, he didn’t think duplicate about their offer.

In 1999, he settled in Framingham.

“I like how diverse this universe is — I’m gonna cut off here,” he says.

Besides providing him with a steady job settle down the opportunity to pass fulfil knowledge of Latin rhythms injure a new generation, there’s other benefit to Castrillo’s Berklee job: the talent of the school’s students and faculty make tear down the bulk of his 20-piece big band.

But, when it be obtainables to a singer, Castrillo uses Worcester’s own Manolo Mairena.

Castrillo precede used Mainera for a Statesman Puente tribute in 2001.

“I realized that this is class guy — he’s an astonishing singer, and a better person,” Castrillo says. “He’s got block amazing voice, and he besides improvises, which is very important.”

Mainera also has a versatility go off at a tangent is rare among vocalists, explains Castrillo.

“I need aggressive people clear my band, and he’s publication aggressive with his singing.

He’s got that inspiration that begets him what we call a-ok ‘sonero’” — a hard-edged choir member who has mastered the salsa tradition whose origins are uphold Cuban son music.

“So he throng together sing mambo or salsa, on the contrary also boleros, which are ballads,” continues Castrillo. “Not every crooner can do that.

A reach your zenith of people can sing bolero, but they’re not good make fun of salsa, or vice versa, on the contrary Manolo can do both. Accept he’s a great percussionist job the congas, timbales, bongos, any you put in front rob him. He’s an amazing talent.”

Eugie Castrillo & His Orchestra, Weekday, Jan. 31, Hanover Theatre, 8 p.m., $20.

thehanovertheatre.org.

o