Memo Acevedo

Memo Acevedo is a Colombian-born Canadian-American drummer, percussionist, composer, arranger, bandleader, and educator, considered a pioneer, both in his native Colombia and in Spain (in his contribution to their respective rock music scenes), as well as in Canada, where he later became a leading figure in the proliferation of Latin jazz. Since 1996, Acevedo has resided in New York City.

Born Guillermo Memo Acevedo in Santa Fe de Bogotá, Colombia, Acevedo lived for a few years in Spain as a young man; by the mid-1970s, he had relocated to Toronto, where we would remain for approximately two decades.

Starting in 1977, and continuing for almost twenty years, Acevedo led the influential Toronto-based Latin jazz unit, Banda Brava. During this period, he also led the group Memo Acevedo and the Jazz Cartel. Virtually all of Acevedo's recordings, however, have been as a sideman, the sole exception being his self-produced 1993 album Building Bridges, featuring Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Dave Valentin, and Tito Puente. His album, Building Bridges was mastered at Metalworks Studios in Mississauga, Ontario. As a sideman, he has recorded with a variety of artists, including jazz singers Mark Murphy and Chris Connor, as well as opera singer Denyce Graves and folk rock guitarist/singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn. In addition, Acevedo has performed in a wide variety of contexts, including the Broadway musical The Lion King, the Cuban band Irakere, with Gregory Hines, pianist Hilton Ruiz, singing duo Jackie and Roy, British Big Beat exponents The Propellerheads, jazz keyboardists Peggy Sternand Doug Riley, jazz pianist and singer Carol Welsman, rock singer-songwriter Stephen Stills, saxophonist Tom Scott, and flutist Bill McBirnie.

Acevedo was a professor at New York University.

Acevedo was awarded the Percussive Arts Society President’s Industry Award in 2011.

Acevedo has performed as guest faculty at the Yakima Valley Community College Latin Music Festival several times, most recently in May, 2012. The Latin Music Festival is organized by David Blink.

• Building Bridges (1993, The Jazz Alliance)