Walfredo Reyes, Jr.
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Walfredo Reyes Jr. (born Walfredo de los Reyes Palau IV; December 18, 1955) is a
Cuban American Cuban Americans ( es, cubanoestadounidenses or ''cubanoamericanos'') are Americans who trace their cultural heritage to Cuba regardless of phenotype or ethnic origin. The word may refer to someone born in the United States of Cuban descent or t ...
musician who is an expert in
drum set A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...
and
auxiliary percussion The percussion section is one of the main divisions of the orchestra and the concert band. It includes most percussion instruments and all unpitched instruments. The percussion section is itself divided into three subsections: * Pitched percus ...
, a
music educator Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as elementary or secondary music teachers, school or music conservatory ensemble directors. Music education is also a research area in which scholars do original ...
, and a
clinician A clinician is a health care professional typically employed at a skilled nursing facility or clinic. Clinicians work directly with patients rather than in a laboratory or as a researcher. A clinician may diagnose, treat, and otherwise care for pa ...
. He has performed with many
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
,
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
, World music, World fusion,
Afro-Cuban Afro-Cubans or Black Cubans are Cubans of West African ancestry. The term ''Afro-Cuban'' can also refer to historical or cultural elements in Cuba thought to emanate from this community and the combining of native African and other cultural ele ...
, and
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
bands as a touring, session recording, and full-time player/performer. Reyes is known for his fusion of many of the world's percussion techniques, including the ability to play a drum set with his hands in addition to the traditional use of drumsticks, whereby it is said that he can "sound like a drummer and a percussionist at the same time". He is well known for having been a long-term member of
Santana Santana may refer to: Transportation * Volkswagen Santana, an automobile * Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles * Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer Boats * Santana 20, an American sailboat design by W. D. Sch ...
, and a member of
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
as the percussionist from 2012 to 2018 and took over the drum seat in 2018. He also performs in ex-
Nazareth Nazareth ( ; ar, النَّاصِرَة, ''an-Nāṣira''; he, נָצְרַת, ''Nāṣəraṯ''; arc, ܢܨܪܬ, ''Naṣrath'') is the largest city in the Northern District of Israel. Nazareth is known as "the Arab capital of Israel". In ...
guitarist
Manny Charlton Manuel Charlton (25 July 1941 – 5 July 2022) was a Scottish musician, who was known as a founding member of the influential Scottish hard rock band Nazareth and was their lead guitarist from 1968 to 1990. He also produced a string of succe ...
's solo band.


Biography

Walfredo Reyes Jr. was born on December 18, 1955, in
Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.
, Cuba. His native name of Walfredo de los Reyes Palau IV is a traditional Cuban combination of his paternal and maternal surnames. He is a third generation musician in a prolific professional musical lineage on both sides of his family, including several globally recognized percussion experts. His father is percussionist Walfredo Reyes, Sr.; one brother is world music percussionist
Daniel de los Reyes Daniel de los Reyes (born July 18, 1962) is an American percussionist who is a former member of Earth, Wind & Fire and Chicago. He is currently a member of the Zac Brown Band. Musical career De los Reyes was born in New York City and raised ...
; another brother is actor
Kamar de los Reyes Kamar de los Reyes (born November 8, 1967) is a Puerto Rican actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Antonio Vega on the ABC soap opera, ''One Life to Live'', and as Raul Menendez, the primary antagonist of the 2012 video game, '' Call of ...
; and his grandfather is trumpeter and Cuban orchestral organizer, Walfredo de los Reyes II. Coincidentally, Wally's father had been professionally credited by the same name, Walfredo Reyes Jr., for his own percussion work throughout the 1940s to 1960s, to differentiate himself from his own father. Reyes has had a lifelong interest in the music of Chicago Transit Authority, now known as the band
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
. As a youth, the band's debut album, ''Chicago Transit Authority'', is the first album he purchased with his own money.


Career

Leading up to his current role with the band
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
, Reyes had a connection as a lifelong fan of the band, as a long-time friend of and collaborator with former drummer
Tris Imboden Gregory Tristan "Tris" Imboden (born July 27, 1951) is an American rock and jazz drummer. As a performer, he has been in studio sessions and on tour with some of the most notable and highest-selling musicians of all time. He was the drummer fo ...
, and as brother of Chicago's previous percussionist
Daniel de los Reyes Daniel de los Reyes (born July 18, 1962) is an American percussionist who is a former member of Earth, Wind & Fire and Chicago. He is currently a member of the Zac Brown Band. Musical career De los Reyes was born in New York City and raised ...
. He is the title character of the
Phish Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band is known for musical improvisation, extended jams, blending of genres, and a dedicated fan base. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon ...
song "Walfredo". For the 2021 movie Being the Ricardos, Reyes coached and mentored
Javier Bardem Javier Ángel Encinas Bardem (; born 1 March 1969) is a Spanish actor. Known for his roles in Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbusters and foreign films, he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the psychopath, ...
in learning the conga drums performed in the film. Reyes has globally toured and/or recorded with countless international acts, including the following: ImageSize = width:725 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:120 bottom:60 top:15 right:0 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1981 till:12/31/2020 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom ScaleMajor = increment:3 start:1983 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1983 Colors = id:drumset value:green legend:Drum_set id:percussion value:orange legend:Auxiliary_percussion id:drumperc value:blue legend:DrumsetAndAux id:audio value:red legend:Audio_album id:video value:purple legend:Video_album BarData = bar:Tania text:Tania Maria bar:Lindley text:David Lindley bar:Browne text:Jackson Browne bar:Barnes text:Jimmy Barnes bar:Santana text:Santana bar:Scaggs text:Boz Scaggs bar:Estefan text:Gloria Estefan bar:Traffic text:Traffic bar:Robbie text:Robbie Robertson bar:Winwood text:Steve Winwood bar:Sample text:Joe Sample bar:Hallyday text:Johnny Hallyday bar:Khaled text:Khaled bar:Buckingham text:Lindsey Buckingham bar:Mickey text:Mickey Hart bar:ElChicano text:El Chicano bar:Chicago text:Chicago PlotData= width:10 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Tania from:01/01/1983 till:12/31/1984 color:drumset bar:Lindley from:01/01/1985 till:12/31/1988 color:drumset bar:Browne from:01/01/1988 till:12/31/1988 color:drumset bar:Barnes from:01/01/1988 till:12/31/1988 color:drumset bar:Santana from:01/01/1989 till:12/31/1993 color:drumset bar:Scaggs from:01/01/1992 till:12/31/1992 color:drumset bar:Estefan from:01/01/1993 till:12/31/1993 color:drumset bar:Traffic from:01/01/1994 till:12/31/1994 color:drumperc bar:Robbie from:01/01/1995 till:12/31/1995 color:drumset bar:Winwood from:01/01/1997 till:12/31/2004 color:drumset bar:Sample from:01/01/1998 till:12/31/1999 color:drumset bar:Hallyday from:01/01/2000 till:12/31/2000 color:drumset bar:Khaled from:01/01/2005 till:12/31/2005 color:drumset bar:Buckingham from:01/01/2007 till:12/31/2011 color:drumperc bar:Mickey from:01/01/2008 till:12/31/2008 color:drumset bar:ElChicano from:01/01/2010 till:12/31/2012 color:drumset bar:Chicago from:01/01/2012 till:01/17/2018 color:percussion bar:Chicago from:01/17/2018 till:end color:drumset LineData= at:01/01/1981 color:video layer:back at:01/01/1986 color:audio layer:back at:01/01/1993 color:audio layer:back at:06/01/1993 color:video layer:back at:01/01/1995 color:audio layer:back at:01/01/2000 color:audio layer:back at:04/01/2000 color:audio layer:back at:09/01/2000 color:video layer:back at:12/01/2000 color:video layer:back at:01/01/2003 color:video layer:back at:01/01/2005 color:video layer:back at:05/01/2005 color:video layer:back at:09/01/2005 color:video layer:back at:01/01/2009 color:audio layer:back at:01/01/2011 color:video layer:back at:06/01/2011 color:video layer:back at:01/01/2012 color:audio layer:back at:07/04/2014 color:audio layer:back


Discography


Videography


Equipment

Reyes uses and endorses the following equipment: *
Mapex Drums Mapex Drums (Music And Percussion EXcellence) is a Taiwanese brand of musical instruments established by KHS Musical Instruments in 1989. Instruments manufactured with the "Mapex" name include drum kits and hardware. Products Mapex produces se ...
*
Sabian Cymbals Sabian is a Canadian and Armenian cymbal manufacturing company established in 1981 in Meductic, New Brunswick, where it is still headquartered. Sabian is considered one of the ''big four'' manufacturers of cymbals, along with Zildjian, Meinl and ...
*
Latin Percussion {{for, the company, Latin Percussion Latin percussion is a family of percussion, membranophone, lamellophone and idiophone instruments used in Latin music. Instruments Afro-Cuban and Puerto Rican styles Folkloric and Santeria * Trap drums * Abakua ...
*
Remo Drumheads Remo Inc. is an American musical instruments manufacturing company based in Valencia, California, and founded by Remo Belli in 1957. Products manufactured include drum kits, drumheads, drums, and hardware. History Drummer and founder Re ...
*
Regal Tip Regal Tip is one of the world's largest manufacturers of drum sticks and other percussion mallets. They produce a range of beaters, but are particularly noted as a manufacturer of premium steel brush (music), brushes and nylon tipped drumsticks. ...
: Walfredo "''El Rockero''" Reyes Jr. signature series drumsticks. Reyes designed his own signature series of drum sticks, earning him Regal Tip's unique nickname of "''El Rockero''" (lit. "The Rocker" in English.) *Audix microphones *Protection Racket drum cases


See also


Notes


References


External links

* *
Official Chicago website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reyes, Walfredo Jr. 1955 births Living people American performance artists Cuban jazz percussionists American percussionists 21st-century American composers American male composers Chicago (band) members 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians