Yayo Morales

Yayo Morales was born in La Paz, Bolivia. He studied at the National Conservatoire of Music from 1983 to 1989 and after that he moved to Madrid, Spain to complete his studies at the E.M.C. (Escuela de Música Creativa) from 1990 to 1994 where he earned a music degree in Drums, Harmony, Arranging, and Composition. In 2012 in Brussels, Belgium he earned the EMMEN diploma (European Professional Music Qualification) with a Specialty in Jazz. He also has a Master of Arts (MA) in Film Scoring and Video Game Music using New Technologies, graduated Summa Cum Laude from The Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 

He lived in Madrid for 23 years and became one of the most relevant and well known drummers in the Spanish scene.

As a freelance drummer and band leader, Yayo has  vast experience playing styles ranging from Jazz, Latin Jazz, Brazilian Jazz, and Flamenco to Pop and Rock, performing throughout Europe, Asia, and North and South America. Playing and touring with bands and musicians such as Henry (The Skipper) Franklin, Bobby Bradford, Azar Lawrence, Theo Saunders, Putter Smith, Marshal Hawkins, Hubert Laws, Teodross Avery, Doug Webb, Louis Van Taylor, Harold Land Jr., Rita Marley, La Calle Caliente, Jorge Pardo, Carles Benavent, Benn Clatworthy, Chano Dominguez, Steve Cotter, La Barbería Del Sur, Scott Ambush, Jerry Pinter, Darek Oles, Juan Munguia, Ron Stout, and Jerry Gonzalez, to name only a few.

From 1994 until 2013 he taught Drum Set, Ear Training (Rhythm), and Jazz Ensemble at the E.M.C. (one of the best modern music schools in Spain). He was teacher of the Associated Board of The Royal Schools of Music of London, giving percussion classes at Kensington School and E.M.C. (1992 – 1996)

In 2013, at the invitation of the Bolivian National Department of Education, he moved back to Bolivia to design and implement the new drum program for Jazz majors at the National Conservatoire of Music. This program is used as the standard model for all national drum programs at the graduate level throughout Bolivia.

He also was professor of composition and arranging at University of Saint Andrews (UMSA) La Paz, Bolivia, involved in extensive curriculum planning and an examination process individualized for each student.

In 2015 he moved to Los Angeles, California , where he currently resides. Today, Yayo has become an important active member of the Los Angeles Jazz scene; in 2019 he played at The Lincoln Center in NYC with The Azar Lawrence Experience.

Yayo is the owner and creative director at Creative Sound Lab. He wrote and produced music for Apple; BYUTV; Univision, (Unimas); Gala TV (Galavision); Warner Time Cable; Corus Media (Canada); Food Network; TVE1 (Spanish National TV); TVE2; TELE5; Antena 3; La Sexta TV; Machinima (Youtube Channel); Cuatro TV; to mention a few. Yayo has been writing music for the TV series “The 100”. Helping composer Tree Adams on Season 6 and  Season 7.

Present day, Yayo is writing original music for the video games Balam: Bounce Hell by Wick Games and  ELLOVEO. This last one supported by the National Science Foundation.

Awards

Yayo won First place in a National Jazz Composition contest in Bolivia. The Abaroa Awards 2018, are the highest distinction that an artist can achieve in Bolivia.

Yayo won the Premios Maya 2017 (Maya Awards) for Best Bolivian Artist Working Abroad, an extraordinary honor seeing as the Premios Maya recognizes Bolivia’s foremost musical artists and cultural contributors.

Yayo Morales Trio album Los Andes Jazz Project 2 got preselected for 59th Grammy Awards.

In November 2022 the video game Balam: Bounce Hell, received three nominations on the 9th edition of the Playstation Awards (Spain), one of them for best original music. In December 2022 Balam: Bounce Hell won the 9th edition of the Playstation Awards.

Gear

Sonor SQ2 drumkit

14" Bass drum

14" Snare drum

10" Tom

12" Floor tom

Yayo is sponsored by Soultone Cymbals and their new line SAND

21" Ride;  21" Crash-Ride; 19" Crash; 14.5" HiHat