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 Chago Martinez is currently the timbalero and musical director for one of Puerto Rico's hottest young salseros, Victor Manuelle. Martinez has been working with Manuelle since the singer's career began, recording six albums in as many years, including the recent "Inconfundible," the much-acclaimed "A Pesar de Todo," as well as "Ironias," "Victor Manuelle," "Solo Contigo, and "Justo a Tiempo." Martinez and Manuelle have just returned from several successful engagements in New York, and will be heading to South America and Europe in the next few months.
A first-call session player in Puerto Rico, Martinez has performed or recorded with many of that country's other major artists: Gilberto Santa Rosa, Ruben Blades, Celia Cruz, Tito Nieves, Cheo Feliciano, Jose Feliciano, Danny Rivera, Domingo Quinones, Jose Alberto, and Perico Ortiz. In addition, he records advertising jingles, and is a longtime teacher of percussion at Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music Middle School.
Influenced by the music of Tito Puente, Nicky Marrero, and Jimmy Delgado, Martinez began playing timbales professionally more than 20 years ago. He still has the wooden LP bongos his father bought him when he was just 14 years old, and today uses LP gear exclusively. "LP has all the colors I need for my music," the timbalero says. "I'm confident that I can get all the sounds I want -- for both live performance and recording -- from the the LP catalog."
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