The Band
The Opus Mundi World Jazz Music Project compiles different musical styles such as Jazz, World Music, Latin and Funk; these musical influences are reflected in the experience of the musicians. Each musician has many different musical backgrounds and influences; together they blend and create a fresh sound in a trio format. The influences range from Afro-Cuban, South American, Middle Eastern, Be-Bop, Straight Ahead, Caribbean, European, and other styles from around the world, thus the name Opus (masterful work) Mundi (worldwide). The group also applies its vast knowledge and experience in educational settings and is available for workshops in Jazz, Latin music, and Puerto-Rican Folkloric music.
The Musicians
Eddie “GuaGua” Rivera (Bass/Leader)
Eddie “Gua Gua” Rivera has established himself as a consummate bass player in the Jazz and Latin Music World. The long list of musicians he has worked, toured and recorded with throughout his career, in both the Latin dance and Latin Jazz world, is a virtual who’s who of music – a few among them: Mongo Santamaria, Gato Barbieri, Tito Puente, Gipsy Kings, Machito, Ray Barretto, Ruben Blades, Larry Harlow, Willie Colon, Arturo Sandoval, Ricardo Ray, Arsenio, Luis “Perico” Ortiz, Batacumbele, Louie Ramirez, Joe Cuba, Giovanni Hidalgo, Dave Valentin, Charlie Palmieri, and Eddie Palmieri among others.
He is one the few musicians who can claim to have worked on over 600 record dates. He has recorded in three GRAMMY AWARD winning projects; two with Eddie Palmieri “The Sun of Latin Music” and “Unfinished Masterpiece” and one with Arturo Sandoval “Danzon/Dance On - Para mis Abuelos”. He also worked on several movie soundtracks and has toured throughout the world in the course of his 40-year career.
Eddie has played in several international festivals: Montreux, North Sea Jazz Festival, Monterrey, Newport Jazz Festival, Stuttgart, Toros y Salsa, Juan Les Pins, Blue Sea Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, San Juan Heineken Jazz Fest, London Jazz Festival, Barranquilla Jazz Festival and the Tokyo Jazz Fest.
Dimas Sanchez (Drums, Percussion)
Dimas Sanchez is a Pearl Percussion Artist and his musical experience includes styles such as: Jazz, Bomba, Plena, Salsa, Samba, Bossa Nova, Blues, Rock, Afro-Cuban, World Music and Latin Jazz. He has studied with Tony Sanchez, Angel “Cachete” Maldonado, Keith Copeland, and Ignacio Berroa. Instruments played by Dimas include drums, shekere, bongo, timbales, congas, bomba barrels, djembe, plena pandereros and other world percussion instruments.
He has performed with artists and groups like: David Sanchez, John Benitez, Richie Flores, Juancito Torres, Angel “Cachete” Maldonado Hector Veneros, Anthony Carrillo, Edsel Gomez, Jimmy Rivera, Rolando Morales, Lunna, Olga Guillot, “La Familia Cepeda”, “Iba A Se”, and Lucecita Benitez. Among the international festivals in which Dimas has performed are: Mundo Latino (Paris), SunFest (West Palm Beach), Clearwater Jazz Festival, Toros y Salsa (Dax, France), Folkloric Festival (Palma de Mallorca), Cultural Festival in Guadeloupe among others.
He also participated as a Drum Clinician and Pearl Drums Artist in the Contemporary Drums and Percussion Summer Camp 2008 at UCF.
Tony Castillo (Piano)
A classically trained pianist, Tony Castillo was born in New York City in 1977. He began his studies at the age of 10 at the Steinway & Sons classical program in Boston, Massachusetts. Continuing his studies at the All Newton Music School in West Newton, Massachusetts, he studied the music of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Rachmaninoff, among others. Following his heart, Tony went on to study classical and Jazz piano at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1996, he won the Outstanding Musician award, and received several scholarships.
Tony continued to develop his sound and recorded his first album as
a soloist in 1999 “Story Ave”, for EarthQuake Records. The album is a compilation of traditional Latin music and original compositions and includes some ensemble work. In the same year, he was commissioned by Berklee College of Music to perform at the Heineken Jazz Festival in Puerto Rico in 1999, with greats such as Ralph Irizzary, Richie Flores, Cachete Maldonado, Pedro Guzman and Miguel Zenon.
Tony’s career gained momentum as a sideman playing with Bob Moses, Giovanni Hidalgo, Eguie Castrillo, Alex Alvear, (Cuban Bassist) Carlos de la Puente, Tony Lujan and Wayne Naus, among others. He also performed in this capacity with Latin artists of the Merengue and Salsa genre such as: Tito Nieves, Paquito Guzman, La India, La Banda Gorda, Raulin Rosendo, Sandy Reyes, Pete “El Conde” Rodriquez and Lalo Rodriquez, among others. He performed at the Latin Heritage Day (1997) at Fenway Park in Boston. In 2003, Tony participated in the VH1 Save the Music Foundation project, where he performed in schools, encouraging youth not only to be better musicians, but better human beings as well. Tony instructed students in the technical aspects of instruments such as drums, piano, synthesizers, bass, guitar and percussion. In 3 months, these students were performing for other schools in the Boston area. Tony participated in percussion clinics in the Boston area with folkloric artist Jorge Arce.
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