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 Coming from a musically infused childhood, the ever-versatile Arturo Rodriguez shares his passion for percussion with the rest of the world. An accomplished musician, author, and teacher, Rodriguez has performed worldwide, sharing the stage with music legends that include Tito Puente, Dave Valentin, Paul Horn, and Pete Escovido. "It is an honor and a privilege to even have my name appear in the same sentence with these great musicians," says Rodriguez.
Born in Los Angeles, Arturo was exposed early on to a wide variety of hand drums by his father and family friends, coming under the influence of artists such as Gerald Wilson, Cal Tjader, Celia Cruz, Mongo Santamaria, and Miguel Cruz. He grew up in a household where his mother was (and still is) an impassioned mambo and salsa dancer, and his father was an avid conguero who played with the Hispanic Music Association (HMA) and formed the group Salsa Express. They made certain music was integral to everyday family life. Rodriguez admits it is no surprise that he wound up in a career so completely reflective of his childhood experiences. "Each morning, my mother would wake us up for school with the music of Celia Cruz, Ismael "Cortijo" Rivera, and others - and a lot of soulful footwork in the living room!"
He graduated from the University of California at Davis in 1986 with a degree in Physiology, but gave up a career in scientific research to pursue his life-long passion for music. He began performing soon after that in San Francisco with the group Rumba Afroson.
Rodriguez' early love of percussion also led him to study with many prominent ethnomusicologists and percussion masters, and eventually became the genesis of his own company, Interact and Learn, which offers self-study courses, workshops, clinics, and public/private classes for beginning through advanced students. He specializes in Afro-Cuban music, from traditional to contemporary and all points in-between. Now, with three books in his Ethnic Percussion Series published by Mel Bay Publications, Rodriguez' training style stresses the importance of community. (LP recognized the significance of Rodriguez' mission early on and provided much support for the Ethnic Percussion Series.)
Rodriguez sees music as "an opportunity for people to learn to work together. Playing music within a group is a lesson in social awareness and collective consciousness. Ultimately the goal is to give of yourself - to be as one with the music and the musicians." As Modern Drummer Magazine said in their review of Rodriguez' "Rumba Guaguanco Conversations" course, "Thanks to Arturo Rodriguez' new book, the rhythmic concepts, drumming, and singing that comprise true rumba are now within the grasp of the serious student... Rodriguez has accomplished a big task here: making it possible for 'outsiders' to feel comfortable in some very deep cultural waters."
Never one to stand still for long, Rodriguez is both a popular face and a powerful force on the local Seattle performing scene. One night, you might catch him tearing up a flamenco-funk set with Fender-endorsed guitar aficionado, Omar Torrez, and the next performing the original Latin jazz compositions of young saxophone sensation, Layla Angulo. You might also find him at various Seattle hot spots playing the ever-lively kutiro with Senegalese kutiro master, Mapathe Diop and his dancers.
While moving through the musical boundaries of jazz, pop, rock, and traditional music, Rodriguez has an amazing talent for bringing things together. His LP percussion ensemble varies from venue to venue but always represents his continuing exploration into the marriage of traditional and contemporary instrumentation, as does his music.
Rodriguez plays LP
congas, bongos,
timbales,
bata,
and djembe.
For
more information, visit his web sites at www.interact-learn.com and www.arturorodriguez.com.
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