Biography
Ignacio Berroa, an Afro-Cuban and jazz drummer recognized above all for his long association with Dizzy Gillespie, entered the world in Havana, Cuba, during 1953. Classical violin had been his initial focus until encounters with Nat King Cole and Glenn Miller prompted a decisive shift in direction. At age eleven he took up drum instruction, and within a decade he was already working as a professional musician across Cuba. The year 1980 brought him to New York, where Gillespie extended an invitation the following year to join his quartet; Berroa remained with the trumpeter’s various ensembles for the ensuing ten years. His command of both jazz and Latin percussion led to extensive recording and concert work alongside Tito Puente, Charlie Haden, Chico Buarque, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Chick Corea, and João Bosco, culminating in the release of his debut solo album, Codes, in 2006.
Albums