Directed by:*

Fernando García

Genre / Type of Show:*

Bomba – Jazz

Language:*

Spanish

Duration:*

02:00:00

Audience type:*

Adults, Jazz Fans

Synopsis:*

Fernando García and Behique fuse Afro-Puerto Rican Bomba with Jazz. They will present their latest studio recording: “Behique” which was made possible by the New Jazz Works grant of Chamber Music America. The term Behique is from the Taino language and means priest and healer.

Fernando García: Drums and Vocals

Claudia Tebar: Vocals

Victor Pablo García: Barril, Backing Vocals

Dan Martínez: Bass

Gabriel Vicens: Electric Guitar

Jan Kus: Tenor Saxophone, and Soprano Saxophone

Gabriel Chakarji: Piano

About the Company / directxr or directxrs:*

Born in San Juan and raised in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, García studied guitar at the extension program of the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico and drumset at Micheo Music Academy, while later receiving a bachelor’s degree in Música Popular from the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico. Furthermore, he was awarded the Juan Luis Guerra Scholarship to complete a master’s degree in Contemporary Performance at Berklee College of Music, Valencia, Spain. Currently, he is finishing a second master’s degree in Music Education at Teachers College Columbia University.

In New York City, he has established himself as a drummer, percussionist, composer, and educator. Throughout his career, he has worked equally as a band leader as well as a sideman. Some of the musicians García has toured and/or recorded with include Abraham Laboriel, Perico Sambeat, Ricardo Pons, Héctor Matos, Pepe Rivero, Alain Pérez, Guillermo Klein, Julio Montalvo, Victor Mendoza, John Benitez, Ximo Tébar, Nathaniel Townsley, Jim Ridl, Boris Koslov, and Miguel Zenón, Alex “Apolo” Ayala, Ivan Renta among others. As a bandleader, García has produced three studio recordings: Desde Arriba (Fernando García Music, 2012), Subidor (Montalvo Records, 2013), and Guásabara Puerto Rico (ZOHO Music, 2018). In 2021 Fernando was awarded the prestigious New Jazz Works grant by Chamber America. He is currently in the works of publishing the new album entitled “Behique” on the Sunnyside Records label.