Calixto Oviedo Band

Born in Cuba, Calixto Oviedo's career spans 38 years. He started his musical studies when he was eight years old at the Caturla Music School in Havana, later graduating from the National School of the Arts, where he played with many different bands and several soon to be famous Cuban musicians. He also was NG La Banda’s drummer during the period that produced their greatest recordings. In the mid-90's, Oviedo became an independent musician and relocated to Sweden, where he became Europe’s drummer of choice on bands and groups playing all genres, from classical jazz to timba. After years of participating as drummer and/or percussionist in dozens of recordings, Oviedo is currently a member of the music faculty at the California State University at Los Angeles (CSULA) as a percussion professor where he is fulfilling a long standing dream, to direct, perform and record a CD with his own modern version of legendary Jelly Roll Morton’s “Latin tinge.”

"Calixto Oviedo is the sole creator of the latest grooves in popular Cuban music, what we know as Timba, with the integration of timbales and drumset. Impeccable taste and technique, combined with his knowledge of AfroCuban rhythms, make Calixto a musician to follow Horacio “El Negro” Hernández

"Calixto Oviedo is for me one of the biggest musicians to come off the island of Cuba in recent years. I have had the opportunity to play with Calixto many times and hope to continue playing with him in the future. I consider him to be a talented musician and a great person to know ."

Luis Conte

“Calixto es sin dudas un verdadero tesoro de nuestra musica cubana.” “Calixto is, without a doubt, a tresaure of Cuban music.”

Carlos Caro

"Among Cuban drummers, Calixto Oviedo is the most innovative musician. I learned all about Cuban rhytms from him. Thank you Calixto!"

Akira Jimbo (Japan)

"Calixto Oviedo is the Elvin Jones of Cuban music."

Peter Suwalski (Denmark)

“Calixto Oviedo is a great musician who has been able to assimilate not only the influences of the great AfroCuban drummers of earlier generations (Barreto, Del Monte, de los Reyes, etc.) but also of the jazz masters (Rich, Colaiuta), creating his own style that has become, in and of itself, a standard for later generations. Calixto is indisputably one of the creators of the rhythmic patterns of contemporary Cuban music, especially in regard to timba and related genres.”

Juan de Marcos

Awards

Latin Grammy Nominated Rumba del siglo Akademia Music Award The best latin jazz album dec 2015 Album Como Suena

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