Michel Camilo

Michel Camilo stands out as a dynamic and technically masterful pianist whose Grammy-winning career fuses Latin rhythms, jazz improvisation, and classical precision. He entered the world in 1954 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, into a household steeped in music, where each of his nine uncles performed professionally. After beginning on accordion, he moved to piano near the age of nine and launched his structured musical training at the same time. By sixteen he was already performing with the National Symphony Orchestra of the Dominican Republic. Following his relocation to New York in 1979, the composition “Why Not?” achieved success through the Manhattan Transfer and quickly became a jazz standard, while “Caribe” found a lasting place in Dizzy Gillespie’s book.

Camilo spent three years in Paquito d’Rivera’s ensemble, which documented “Why Not?” as an album title track, and he also cut sessions for Electric Bird—later reissued by Evidence—and Columbia. Stepping out as a bandleader, he issued his self-titled album in 1988, which held the number-one spot on the jazz charts for ten consecutive weeks and drew equal praise from reviewers and Latin-jazz audiences. A further highlight arrived with 1993’s Rendezvous, featuring bassist Anthony Jackson and drummer Dave Weckl. Camilo expanded into film scoring with Amo Tu Cama Rica in 1991 and Two Much in 1996. In 1997 he joined percussionist Giovanni Hidalgo for the recording Hands of Rhythm.

The year 2000 brought a featured role in Fernando Trueba’s documentary Calle 54. That same year Camilo and flamenco guitarist Tomatito earned Best Latin Jazz Album at the inaugural Latin Grammy Awards for their joint project Spain; the pair later followed up with Spain Again in 2006. In 2002 the pianist earned further notice for Triangulo, again with Jackson on bass and Horatio “El Negro” Hernandez on drums. Also in 2002 he collaborated with Leonard Slatkin and the BBC Symphony Orchestra on his Piano Concerto; Suite for Piano, Strings & Harp; Caribe. After Spain Again he closed his Telarc tenure with the acclaimed 2007 release Spirit of the Moment. In 2009 Japan saw the appearance of the concert document Caribe: Michel Camilo Big Band.

Camilo returned in 2011 with the trio album Mano a Mano, recorded for Emarcy alongside Hidalgo and bassist Charles Flores, then embarked on an extensive world tour that encompassed numerous festivals. He next entered the studio for the solo-piano collection What’s Up?, issued on the reactivated OKeh label in 2013. Three years afterward he reunited with Tomatito for their third joint effort, Spain Forever, interpreting works by Ennio Morricone, Astor Piazzolla, Egberto Gismonti, Charlie Haden, Luis Bonfa, Django Reinhardt, Chick Corea, and Erik Satie. The concert recording Live in London, captured at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, surfaced in 2017. The full-band Latin-jazz session Essence arrived in June of 2019.