Episode 44: Congero Legendario "CHEMBO"!

Send us Fan MailGRAMMY AWARD NOMINATED Percussionist Wilson “Chembo” Corniel wasborn in Manhattan on November 22, 1953 of proud Puerto Rican parents; Chembowas raised in the humble streets of Red Hook, Brooklyn. It was during these years,as a quick-witted youngster, that he had the privilege and honor to study with such percussion luminaries as, Tommy Lopez Sr., “Little Ray” Romero, Louie Bauzo, and Cachete Maldonado.Chembo honed his skills at The Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts in New York, and also at the prestigious La Escuela Nacional de Arte in Havana, Cuba under the direction of the great Chucho Valdés. In Cuba Chembo studied with Roberto Vizcaino Guillot, Jose Luis Quintana “Changuito”, Papo Angarica,Alejandro Cavajal Guerra, Lazaro Poderoso, Julito Fantoma, Sandy Perez(Grupo Afro Cuba De Mantanzas).His intense studies with such legends noted above channeled his energy onto a path where Wilson “Chembo” Corniel has now created a reputation for himself among musicians and the public. Today, he is considered as one of the best hard-hitting, versatile percussionists around!Support the show