Tumbaito

Tumbaito originated in London during 1994 under the leadership of percussionist Williams Cumberbache, born 18 May 1966 in Caracas, Venezuela. The ensemble quickly rose to prominence among the United Kingdom’s active Latin and salsa dance community. Its central lineup revolved around Cumberbache together with Nico Gomez, born 20 September 1964 in Nice, France and responsible for bass and vocals, and Nestor Garcia, born 12 November 1964 in Las Palmas, Spain and supplying guitar, keyboards, and vocals. Supporting musicians regularly augmented the group, among them vocalist Nino Rocha, saxophonist Paul Booth, and keyboardist Roland Perrin, previously a member of Evidence. Appearances at clubs and festivals across Britain formed a steady part of their schedule, while 1997 brought an invitation to Jordan for a private performance honoring Royal Prince Hussein. That year also saw the issue of their debut album, Otros Tiempos, which highlighted a fusion of multiple Latin American idioms with raw jazz and funk touches. Outside band activities, Cumberbache leads percussion workshops, advises advertising agencies on music, and works as a session player, appearing on recordings by Cathy Dennis, Hanny, and Sierra Maestra.