Jesús Alejandro Pérez
Encyclopedia
Jesús Alejandro Pérez is a Cuba
n-Canadian
bandleader based in Montreal
and Los Angeles
.
Born in Havana
, Jesús emigrated to the United States
at a young age, living in New Orleans and Miami and earning the nickname of "el niňo" (the kid) as he was usually the youngest member in every band he played. During the 1980s, his work with Los Angeles-based Orquesta Versalles (featuring composer and pianist La Palabra
), was popular with dancers and cemented Pérez's credentials as a bandleader.
Since 1997, Pérez resides in Montreal; his knowledge of Cuban music has made him one of the hubs of the Canadian salsa
scene. His arrangements tend toward the traditional sound of charanga
, son
and rumba
, and less to the standard sounds of post-1980s salsa. He publishes his records through the traditionally-oriented SAR label.
Outside of Canada, Pérez is best known for his touring and recording with Ricardo Lemvo
's Makina Loca, where he plays flute, sometimes piano, and sings some vocals. Noted percussionist Edwin Bonilla (longtime member of Gloria Estefan
's band) tapped Pérez for his traditional ("duro") sound, having him as a collaborator in his records released by the SAR label. Other musicians who have engaged Pérez in long-time artistic relationships include Johnny Polanco and Hector Cuevas.
Outside of his bandleading and producing skills, Pérez also plays piano
, flute
, tres
and percussion.
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n-Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
bandleader based in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Born in Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Jesús emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
at a young age, living in New Orleans and Miami and earning the nickname of "el niňo" (the kid) as he was usually the youngest member in every band he played. During the 1980s, his work with Los Angeles-based Orquesta Versalles (featuring composer and pianist La Palabra
La Palabra (musician)
La Palabra is a well-respected bandleader, singer-songwriter, pianist, record producer, and arranger, known for his versatile approach to music, particularly his invention of the Salsa romantica Latin music genre and his signature style of Afro-Cuban-influenced, sensual Latin jazz.-Early...
), was popular with dancers and cemented Pérez's credentials as a bandleader.
Since 1997, Pérez resides in Montreal; his knowledge of Cuban music has made him one of the hubs of the Canadian salsa
Salsa music
Salsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...
scene. His arrangements tend toward the traditional sound of charanga
Charanga
Charanga is a term given to traditional ensembles of Cuban dance music. They made Cuban dance music popular in the 1940s and their music consisted of heavily son-influenced material, performed on European instruments such as violin and flute by a Charanga orchestra....
, son
Son
A son is a male offspring; a boy or man in relation to his parents. The female analogue is a daughter.-Social issues regarding sons:In pre-industrial societies and some current countries with agriculture-based economies, a higher value was, and still is, assigned to sons rather than daughters,...
and rumba
Rumba
Rumba is a family of percussive rhythms, song and dance that originated in Cuba as a combination of the musical traditions of Africans brought to Cuba as slaves and Spanish colonizers. The name derives from the Cuban Spanish word rumbo which means "party" or "spree". It is secular, with no...
, and less to the standard sounds of post-1980s salsa. He publishes his records through the traditionally-oriented SAR label.
Outside of Canada, Pérez is best known for his touring and recording with Ricardo Lemvo
Ricardo Lemvo
Ricardo Lemvo is a DR Congolese singer of Angolan descent, based in Los Angeles. His music combines Cuban salsa with African rumba and soukous....
's Makina Loca, where he plays flute, sometimes piano, and sings some vocals. Noted percussionist Edwin Bonilla (longtime member of Gloria Estefan
Gloria Estefan
Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García de Estefan; known professionally as Gloria Estefan is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen Of Latin Pop", she is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 100 million albums sold worldwide, 31.5 million of those...
's band) tapped Pérez for his traditional ("duro") sound, having him as a collaborator in his records released by the SAR label. Other musicians who have engaged Pérez in long-time artistic relationships include Johnny Polanco and Hector Cuevas.
Outside of his bandleading and producing skills, Pérez also plays piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
, tres
Tres
The tres is a 3-course, 6-string chordophone which was created in Cuba. A tres player is called a tresero in Cuba and a tresista in Puerto Rico.-Cuban tres:In Cuba, the son was created as a song and a salon dance genre...
and percussion.