Memo Acevedo is an active New York City drummer

1919

Memo Acevedo is an active New York City drummer, percussionist and educator and Band Leader. He pioneered Colombia and Spain’s Rock music scene during his teens. A self-taught musician, his passion for Jazz and Latin music compelled him to take it as a serious object of study after leaving home.

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Having lived in Colombia, Spain, Mexico, Canada, Los Angeles and New York City, has endowed him with a vast knowledge and experience in all styles of music.

Recording and performing credits include (among many) the greats, Tito Puente, Gregory Hines, Hilton Ruiz Louie Bellson and Joe Cuba; Stephen Stills, Joss Stone, Crystal Bowersox, Angelique Kidjo; Brazilian masters Ivan Lins and Moacir Santos; Jazz singers Jackie & Roy and Mark Murphy; Cuban bands, Irakere, Klimax and Broadway shows “The Civil War” and “The Lion King”.

In 1997, Memo joined the faculty at New York University’s Jazz program and founded the Samba Ensemble, directed the Latin/Brazilian Jazz Ensemble and taught percussion and drum set until 2011.

He is co-author of the “Afro-Caribbean and Brazilian Drumming”, produced by New York’s foremost drum school, Drummer’s Collective,where he has been teaching since 1997 to date. Memo is also featured on the KoSA DVD “Lessons with the Masters” hudsonmusic.com and has been invited to the KoSA Percussion Camp for 15 years.


 

During his years living in Toronto, Memo was inducted into Canada’s ‘Who is Who’. He is credited as the pioneer of the Afro-Cuban, Brazilian and Latin Jazz movements, leading three bands of his own. He established the first Latin Jazz, Salsa and Brazilian ensembles in an educational institution in Canada, at Humber College in Toronto. He also produced and hosted his own radio show “The Latin Beat” at CIUT-FM for ten years.

His credits as a recording session player in Canada include most of the major stars in that country as well as TV work and jingles. Memo’s self-produced CD “Building Bridges” features his mentor Tito Puente, flutist, Dave Valentín and pianist, Gonzalo Rubalcaba.

As a composer, he’s won the National “AD’s Music Award” for his groundbreaking Rubbermaid TV commercial “Unbeatable” in 1989.

In 1991 he received a “JUNO Award” in the “World Beat” category; a “Percussionist of the Year” award  by’The Jazz Report’ Magazine’ Media poll in the years 1994 and 1995. In 2007 he received the KoSA Lifetime Achievement Award “for his tireless contribution to the world of percussion and percussion education”

In November of 2011 he was given the prestigious PAS (Percussive Arts Society) President’s Industry Award. http://www.lpmusic.com/lpnews/2011/12/lp-education-specialist-memo-acevedo- receives-pas-award/

In March of 2013 he was given the “Gitano Tropical”, Honorary Recognition Award given to a few by the Cuban Ministry of Culture for his contribution and support of Cuban Music and Culture through his career.

In November of 2013 he was honoured with the Artistic Life Achievement Award at the Montreal Drum Festival’s 21st Anniversary.

Memo endorses TAYE Drums, SABIAN Cymbals, EVANS Heads, GON BOPS percussion, RHYTHM-TECH and PRO-MARK Sticks with a stick of his own creativity, the MA1 ‘Revolution’. (by Rodrigo Baak)