Walfredo De Los Reyes
Cuban born Walfredo de los Reyes (Walfredo Reyes, Sr.) is known internationally as an innovative drummer/percussionist, having been one of the first to mix jazz, pop, Cuban, and Caribbean rhythms using the drumset and percussion (such as congas, timbales, bongos, and cowbells) simultaneously. As a clinician for Latin Percussion, DW Drums, Sabian Cymbals, Remo drum heads, and Regal Tip sticks, Walfredo emphasizes independence and versatility, demonstrating how ethnic rhythms generally played on percussion are adapted to the drumset, how a drummer and percussionist work together playing various rhythms such as songo, Mozambique, mambo, danzon, cha-cha, and many others, and how all of these rhythms and instruments can be played by one person. His clinic tours throughout the United States, South America, and Canada have proven to be very successful.
Walfredo pioneered in early Descargas, Cuban jam sessions, and Latin jazz albums in Cuba and the United States together with Israel Lopez “Cachao,” Los Papines, and many other famous musicians. He has also performed and recorded with many stars in Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Latin America.
Walfredo currently resides in the San Francisco bay area where he has been a featured artist with the San Francisco and Fujitsu Jazz Festivals. Other work in the bay area includes movie soundtracks such as Predator II with Alan Silvestri, and Mambo Kings with Linda Ronstadt.