Puerto Rican percussionist and music educator
Giovanni Hidalgo a.k.a. "Mañenguito" (born November 22, 1963) is a Latin jazz percussionist.
Early years.
Hidalgo was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he received his primary education. His grandfather was a musician, and his father, José Manuel Hidalgo "Mañengue", was a renowned conga player. Hidalgo was raised in a household surrounded by drums, bongos, congas, and timbales. For his eighth birthday, he received a conga which was handmade by his father. As a young child he practiced and developed his skills on the conga and on other instruments in his house. Hidalgo would drum a tune with sticks and then play the same tune with his hands.
Music career.
Hidalgo auditioned and was hired by the Batacumbele Band in 1980. In 1981, he traveled with the band to Cuba, where he met a musician by the name José Luis Quintana, a.k.a. Changuito. They created a style of rhythm that ushered in a new era in Latin music.
In 1985, Hidalgo was performing with Eddie Palmieri at the Village Gate in New York City when Dizzy Gillespie walked in and listened to him play. Gillespie was so impressed with Hidalgo that he told him that someday in the future they must get together and play. In 1988 Hidalgo joined Gillespie's United Nation Orchestra.
In 1992, Hidalgo was hired as an adjunct professor at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He taught many types of rhythm: Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, reggae, African, and jazz. He held this academic position until 1996.
During his career, he has worked with Bola Abimbola, Sikiru Adepoju, Art Blakey, Muruga Booker, Jack Bruce, Don Byron, Candido Camero, D'Angelo, Paulinho da Costa, Steve Gadd, Sammy Hagar, Kip Hanrahan, Zakir Hussain, Cassius Khan, Airto Moreira, Charlie Palmieri, Tito Puente, Hilton Ruiz, Paul Simon, and Carlos "Patato" Valdes.
On October 31, 2010, he performed with the rock band Phish during their Halloween concert. The band performed Waiting for Columbus by Little Feat with Hildalgo on percussion (with the exception of "Don't Bogart That Joint", which was performed a cappella) and a brass section of Aaron Johnson, Stuart Bogie, Ian Hendrickson, Michael Leonhart, and Eric Biondo.
In October 2016, the ring finger of his left hand was amputated due to an infection related to diabetes. In March, 2017 a benefit for him was held at the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts in the Bronx, New York to assist him with his expenses. Since his amputations, Giovanni Hidalgo has adapted his playing style and now often uses sticks, developing a new and innovative approach to his music. He sometimes still plays with his hands, incorporating his unique techniques into his performances.
Awards and honors.
In 1991 Hidalgo received a Grammy Award for his contribution to the album "Planet Drum" (Rykodisc, 1991), performed by an ensemble of the same name led by Mickey Hart of The Grateful Dead. He played on another one of Hart's Grammy-winning albums, "Global Drum Project" and on the album "Danzón (Dance On)" (GRP, 1993) by Arturo Sandoval which won the 1995 Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Performance. "Hands of Rhythm" (RMM, 1997), Hidalgo's album with Michel Camilo, received a Grammy nomination, as did "The Body Acoustic" (Chesky, 2004), al album recorded by Hidalgo, David Chesky, Randy Brecker, Bob Mintzer, and Andy Gonzalez.
In May 2010, Hidalgo was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music during the sixteenth consecutive year that faculty members from the school visited Puerto Rico for one of its global outreach programs.
Discography.
As sideman.
With Batacumbele
With Zaperoko
With Dave Valentin
With Kip Hanrahan
With Airto Moreira
With Hilton Ruiz
With Paquito D'Rivera
With Eddie Palmieri
With Jazz Hamilton
With The Brian Lynch / Eddie Palmieri Project
With Tito Puente
With Mickey Hart
With Flora Purim
With Humberto Ramirez
With Michel Camilo
With Freddie Hubbard
With Dizzy Gillespie
With McCoy Tyner
With Jerry Rivera
With others
References.
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