Home » Jazz Musicians » Luis Conte

Luis Conte

Luis Conte’s genius stems from his ability to integrate the powerful rhythms of his native Cuba with the American necessities of American pop music. His long and varied career has included numerous Hollywood film scores and mega-successful albums with Madonna, Ray Charles, Phil Collins, Santana, Shakira, Jackson Browne, Sergio Mendes, Cachao, and a multitude of other artists too numerous to mention. Born in Santiago, Cuba, Luis spent the first 15 years of his life soaking up the rich musical heritage of “El Son” and Carnival. "Life in Cuba is all about enjoying life, and music is central to that lifestyle," Luis says. "Music is almost like food to Cuban people.” While immersed in the music of his native Cuba, Luis also developed a passion for Rock & Roll, R&B soul music, jazz, and the Beatles. At 15, looking for freedom, Luis emigrated to Madrid, Spain. He soon had another opportunity to travel, this time to Hollywood. In California, Luis stayed with a cousin and attended Hollywood High School, playing guitar in numerous rock bands throughout his teens. After high school, Luis met John Monteallegre, who reunited him with Cuban drums at LA City College. By the time he was 18, Luis was intensely interested in drumming and took every opportunity to play and to learn, drawing his inspiration from a deep source of rhythm absorbed during his youth in Cuba. Since then, Luis has become one of the most respected and recorded percussionists in the world.

Tags

9
Album Review

Pat Metheny: From This Place

Read "From This Place" reviewed by Chris M. Slawecki


When a musician of Pat Metheny's pedigree writes, “From This Place is one of the records I have been waiting to make my whole life," it seems prudent to listen. Each of these ten new compositions seems to reflect a different aspect of Metheny as composer and guitarist, casting his bright and articulate voice in various configurations of his core band (Welsh pianist Gwilym Simcock, Malaysian/Australian bassist Linda May Han Oh, and drummer Antonio Sanchez, whose tenure with ...

1
Album Review

Pat Metheny: From This Place

Read "From This Place" reviewed by Emmanuel Di Tommaso


Sono vari i motivi per i quali è difficile trattenere l'entusiasmo di fronte all'uscita di From This Place, ritorno su disco di Pat Metheny. Il piacere dell'attesa, innanzitutto: ben sei anni sono trascorsi dall'uscita del precedente album in studio Kin () (Nonesuch, 2014), un lasso di tempo che ai fans più appassionati sarà sembrato infinito, considerata la prolificità di Metheny nel corso della sua quarantennale carriera. Altro fattore di entusiasmo è sicuramente il trio che accompagna Metheny in ...

69
Album Review

Pat Metheny: From This Place

Read "From This Place" reviewed by John Kelman


It's been a full six years since Pat Metheny last released a studio recording. This, despite the guitarist who has become, in a career now in the midst of its fifth decade, one of the most famous and influential jazz guitarists of his (or, some would argue, any) generation, reportedly having enough material in the can for five or six releases. Nor is it as if he hasn't kept busy. The guitarist, for whom live performance has always ...

113
Album Review

Luis Conte: En Casa De Luis

Read "En Casa De Luis" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


Luis Conte may not be a household name, but anybody with access to music in the past thirty years has probably heard his playing. Conte has served as the percussion colorist of choice for the musical elite and, with appearances on hundreds of albums that touch on virtually every genre, from jazz to pop to film scores to Latin music and beyond, his playing has become the rhythmic undercurrent on the soundtrack of our lives. While Conte remains a first-call ...

Read more articles
254

Recording

Luis Conte's "En Casa De Luis" Features The Many Sides Of The Powerful Percussionist

Luis Conte's "En Casa De Luis" Features The Many Sides Of The Powerful Percussionist

Source: Heather Noonan

LOS ANGELES—Luis Conte, most famous as a masterful percussionist, has announced the release of his latest album, “En Casa de Luis," out March 8th through BFM Jazz. Conte can play virtually any style of music and has performed with a very wide range of major artists, including James Taylor, Madonna, Barbara Streisand, Phil Collins and Pat Metheny, to name a few. Conte is also an important bandleader, and a very skilled songwriter and singer. His many musical talents are on ...

Tai Adelaja
percussion

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Tierra Y Alma

Velasquezmusic
2023

buy

What is Hip?

Mango Eater MUSIC
2022

buy

Prom Drama (feat....

Def Left Ear
2021

buy

From This Place

Nonesuch Records
2019

buy

En Casa De Luis

BFM Jazz
2011

buy

Arc

GRP Records
1993

buy

Videos

Similar

Get more of a good thing!

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