Zaragemca's Biography....For musicians the drummers/percussionists which don't know me, or from where I got my knowledge...This is why I'm considered Master Percussionist from my students and the people which had worked with me.I was born and raised in a rumberos-house in the neighborhood of 'Los Sitios' which have fame all over Cuba for his percussionist,(conga players and Bata players), I couldn't affort a drum,so I was into hand percussion,untill around 11 years old,but I did start with my ancestors the learning of African-Drumming-Patterns, Yoruba,Arara,Bantu,etc.,and learning from the weekly Rumba jamming of the top rumberos of the neighborhood,(some of them comming from others neighborhood to compete).Also close observasion of the percussion riffs of the yearly Carnival,(where differents percussionist would come every year with percusion patterns to outgrow the other competitors).Then in school I get in to drumming,and by late 60's get in to Rock and Jazz,(which was prohibited at that time in Cuba),but I kept defending the right to play that music,that situation and not joining the communist party,ultimately brought me to the U.S.,..At one point I was playing with the E.N.A. group,(Nacional School of Arts) in Cuba..... In the U.S. after I came to Houston I started getting called by mexicans bands,so I have played with around five mexican bands,(two of them show-bands where I have to play everything,Conga,Timbales,and DrumSet).. I also played with the top Vallenato-Orquesta at that time in Houston,(Colombian Music),and was able to share the stage with the best colombian bands comming to Houston at that time,Grupo Niche,Fruco y sus Tesos,Los Graduados,Los Corraleros de Majagual,Pipe Pimienta,Los Colombinos, later from Honduras,(Central America),Silver Star,Los Rolands,Banda Blanca,(around that time I started getting requested to teach).The business of music and curiosity took me to traveling to other States,( I did work for three record labels,G.P. Records,Ramex Records,and Balboa Records which was the production Label of 'Ariola' en Mexico.Then in California I did work for Universal Studios,(where I did learn a lot in relation to film Industry and promotion).Back in Houston,I started playing with la Sonora Santa Ana,(and sharing the stage with the top bands from El Salvador,(in The Carnavales de San Miguels),with was a yearly celebration.From there in to Salsa-Cumbia-Merengue band,(in 1998 I started my teaching of African,Afrocuban,and Brazilian percussion .Also I was part of the Core-Band, of the Red Cat Jazz Cafe,( playing all type of jazz in the open jam every Tuesday around 6 years)...From there I got called from an Austin band to play at the Bob Marley's Festival,( I did played two festivals with that Band),Then I have the opportunity to play with top Djembe players and Ensembles from,Ghana,Senegal,Guinea,South Africa, and Ethiopian Bands.(several of the african players becoming my percussion students).Again playing at Bob Marley's Festival,(This time with Dr. King Cobra Band), we were playing,.Reggae,Calipso,Socka,Afro-Jazz,and Afro-Pop...At this point I started teaching advanced percussion structure,multy-Percussion Patterns,and writing articles about Percussion,(The foundation of Drumming),(Classification of an Advanced drummer),(Zaragemca brief on Jazz),(Zaragemca's bongos,congas,Timbales and bata),(Development of Afrocuban Instruments),(Origing of 6/8 Time Signature),and other which are available in the internet.There was an audition for percussionists,(around 20's percussionists,the number 1,2,3, players of that audition were all Djembe players from my training).Started performing with my Drumming Ensemble,at Clubs,Universities,Festivals,Private parties, Corporate Events, and Clinics for Guitar Centers store..I had the opportunity to be invited for performing at a Buddhist Temple with Table,Darbukas,and Djembe. The notice of my Samba-Bateria brought a group of people from Brazil which were thrilled,(becouse I had incorporated few 'cookies' to play the Samba which were news),so they took a lot of pictures and a video which is somewhere around Brazil.Also I'm the first cuban to use the Djembe as a lead instrument for Guaguanco-Rumba, and introduced it into the Ethiopian Music,( have played congas too).The mayority of my students are caucasian,but I had also,africans,cubans,puertorican,colombian,mexican s,british,canadian,indian,brazilian,afro-american,costarican,venezuelan,etc.I'm actually playing with a Fusion-Reggae Band,teaching,and doing consultation.I recetly did a unique show with a mexican/painter, (which is a known Muralist-Painter), another mexican/percussionist,( specialist in Azteca-Percussion), a guy from Bolivia playing Zampona,and Quena,(from Inca-Culture),and I was doing Drum-Set,Vibra-Slap,Wind Chimes,Rattles,Rain-Fores,China-Gons,Bongos,etc.This is the first time that this have been done,putted together like this.(It was sponsored by M.E.C.A.),a mexican cultural school here in Houston,.. I have participate in a World Communion Recital which was sponsored by Christ First Community Church in Sugarland..also participated in a Symphonic Recital with two piano players,(for the graduation event), in Sugarland Country Club. I'm already recognized a world's known authority in Afrocuban Percussion and Music with articles which are taken as reference in this subject..And still jamming with an Reggae/Fusion Band Jazz and conducting my Clinics/Teaching, and writing. I have three videos in Youtube.com.. as 'Dr. Zaragemca' ,(The variation of Mozambique..Triple articulation of carnival patterns....and Warm up)...Dr. Zaragemca
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International Club of Percussionists
