Colombian Artist Alonso Gonzalez started playing percussion at the age of 11 when he and couple of school friends set up a band, Energia Latina in Cartagena, Colombia. His love for Latin rhythms continued and he took classes from the prominent musicians in Cartagena, including members of the Pinto family.
He made his professional debut at the age of 13, playing with established musicians at La Piragua. His 'schoolboy' band went on to play at concerts featuring Latin American artists such as Jerry Rivera, Gilberto Santa Rosa and other well-known Colombian bands in Cartagena.
He started playing with the Manhattan sextet in 1998. The group travelled throughout Colombia and were the backing band for Julio Cesar “El Cubano” at the leading salsa club in Cartagena.
After brief trips to Taiwan and Thailand, Alonso lived in Malaysia from October 2001 to December 2006. There he played and recorded with artists such as, Zainal Abidin, Steve Thornton's Latin Jazz Quartet, Greg Lyons & Biophonics, Amir Yussof, Farid Ali, Lewis Pragasam, Jose Thomas and David Gomez.
He has played at all the major festivals and promotions in Malaysia and Singapore as well as playing regularly at jazz clubs, such as No Black Tie and Niche.
“Havana Studio” and Alonso worked together to bring rhythm and dance to the stage and at special clinics for dance students at the studio.
Alonso endorses LP(Latin Percussion) and conducted clinics with Bentley Music, he was also part of the Steve Thornton Roland (Endorsed) Electric Band.
“Jazz Latino” was set up in 2003, bringing together Malaysian and Colombian musicians. They recorded an album where you can listen to songs like “Our Latin World” , “Nacimiento” , “La Compostura” and some others.
Alonso's second CD was a “World Jazz Fusion” album, where he mixed Indian instruments such as Tabla and Dhol, a latin instrument, la Conga, the Flute, Electric Bass and Guitar.
This new project is call AFRODICIACO, and as the music suggests, the musicians are a great mix of cultures, Providence on flute from Trinidad and Tobago, Wan on Bass from Malaysia, Marco Alonso on Guitar from Cuba and Keeran D. on Dhol and Tabla from India and Malaysia. In this production you can hear songs such as “Cuando” (song for Mhairi-Anne), “Move It”, “Screaming Out” and some others.
Alonso moved to Madrid a few months ago and he continues to produce and compose for Asian and Colombian artists.
“Alonso & Jazz Latino”
Alonso Gonzalez is catalogued by musical critics as modal of the Latin percussion in the South of Asia. He has added to his quintet elements fused from Africa, Latin American, and the Caribbean, inspired by the groove and sounds of instruments like the Bomba from puertorico, the African Dun Dun, the Guaguanco Cubano, the calypso, and certainly flavours from Caribbean of Colombian. All that follows the format of the Afro-Latin Jazz, showed in a simple way for a better appraisal of the virtuous sounds of the Artists in scene. The result is impressive “.
Thailand, Singapore, China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Spain, Italy, Portugal, France, Colombia, among others, have been witnesses of Alonso's Gonzalez talent.
Festivals: -Tokyo Music Market Festival Japon 2006 -Kuala Lumpur Music Festival Agosto 2005 -Kampung Arts Festival Kuala Lumpur 2005 -Kuching International Jazz Festival Sarawak 2003 y 2004 -Mont Kiara Jazz Festival Kuala Lumpur 2002-2005
Label Type: Unsigned Band Members: Roberto Rozo on Bass Rodolfo Martinez on piano Humberto Barrios on percussion Nelson Gomez on trumpet Alonso Gonzalez on percussion and Music Director
