Home » Jazz Musicians » Diego Pinera

Diego Pinera

The drummer Diego Pinera grew up in Montevideo (Uruguay) and has now been living in Germany for several years. He studied drumming at the Berklee College of Music (USA), at the University of Music in Havana (Cuba) and at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Leipzig. He received lessons from Danilo Perez, Bob Moses, Jose Luis Quintana ‘Changuito’, and Kenwood Denard. Back in Uruguay he founded the Diego Pinera Trio and recorded the CD Buscando with the Perro Andaluz label. He eventually returned to Germany, where he founded the Berlin Quartett and recorded Reflexiones feat. Tony Lakatos. In 2014 the Jazz Thing Next Generation Series Strange Ways followed. Pinera recorded his current album My Picture with Mark Turner and Ben Street in 2015 in New York. In May 2016 he played the cd.real.tour with Donny McCaslin and Phil Donkin. As ‘Sideman’ he played with musicians such as Donny McCaslin, Jerry Bergonzi, Danilo Perez, Hans Glawischnig, Dan Tepfer, Alex Sipiagin, Miguel Zenon, Wilson de Oliveira, Tony Lakatos, Nene Vazquez, Joe Gallardo, Katja Riemann, Nils Wogram and Paul Brody. With his quartet (with Peter Ehwald, Tino Derado and Phil Donkin) he achieved in his compositions a new, unusual approach to Latin Jazz. Sometimes this approaches Pop and Modern Jazz, sometimes he concentrates on the original, multilayered rhythms of this improvisational music. Pinera’s playing is nonetheless always grounded in the Latin American musical tradition. Diego Pinera was nominated in 2015 for the ECHO Music Prize in the category ‘Best Instrumentalist of the Year’. Festival Appearances North Sea Festival, Jazzfestival ‘Garana Jazz Festival’ Romania, BLUE NOTE Milano, Riga Ritmi Jazzfestival, Dresdener Drumfestival, Jazzfestival ‘Jazztour’, Festival International Naganagua Venezuela, Bogota Jazzfestival im Teatro Libre, Guangdong Jazzfestival China, Jazzfestival Lima Peru, Malta Jazzfestival Prizes First price International Songwriting Competition Jazz and Blues Awards Berlin 2005 Leipziger Jazzpreis 2011 ECHO nominated for the ‘Instrumentalist of the Year 2016’ with My Picture ECHO nominated for the ‘Instrumentalist of the Year 2015’ with Strange Ways PREMIOS GRAFITIS nominated for the ‘Instrumentalist of the Year’ award 2015 with Strange Ways International Song Composition winner 2015 for ‘My Picture’ Endorsements: Canopus Instruments Meinl Cymbals ProMark Terré percussion

Awards

Prizes First price International Songwriting Competition Jazz and Blues Awards Berlin 2005 Leipziger Jazzpreis 2011 ECHO nominated for the ‘Instrumentalist of the Year 2016’ with My Picture ECHO nominated for the ‘Instrumentalist of the Year 2015’ with Strange Ways PREMIOS GRAFITIS nominated for the ‘Instrumentalist of the Year’ award 2015 with Strange Ways International Song Composition winner 2015 for ‘My Picture’


Tags

8
Album Review

Diego Pinera: Odd Wisdom

Read "Odd Wisdom" reviewed by Phillip Woolever


In certain musical occasions the essence of time is more vividly pronounced than others. That equation is often pronounced clearly in the technique of how a drummer applies various rhythms, and the resulting effect those metrics have on a song or project. Drummer Diego Pinera is a widely travelled percussionist from Uruguay, currently based in Berlin. His second release on the German-based ACT label demonstrates a vast range of compositional skills recorded during one brief, extremely productive session ...

10
Album Review

Diego Pinera Trio: My Picture

Read "My Picture" reviewed by Mark Sullivan


Berlin-based drummer/composer Diego Pinera steps out for an ambitious trio program with saxophonist Mark Turner and bassist Ben Street. Pinera was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, but has lived in Germany since 2003. He studied at the Berklee College of Music (U.S.), the University of Music in Havana (Cuba), and the University of Music and Theater in Leipzig (Germany): he gets around. Latin jazz is his core interest, but this music is simply creative contemporary jazz, sometimes with a ...

Read more articles

Concerts

Apr 9 Tue

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Odd Wisdom

ACT Music
2021

buy

My Picture

Octason Records
2016

buy

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.