His partner in time, Luisito Quintero, hails from a Venezuelan musical family. Luisito's relatives are acclaimed percussionists in the homeland who do it all, from salsa to symphony. Luisito, however, had eyes on America. Today he's a prime USA first-call percussionist. You are not going to believe the solo thing he does: He's standing over timbales, his left hand executing a cowbell ostinato so fast it's unfair, while his right is totally whacked-out on the metal drums. “Latin Madness” indeed. Warning: once you hear this stuff, you are at risk of abandoning your hard-earned but suspect left foot clavé. Quintero will distract you with similarly wicked acts committed on congas, bongos, djembes, you name it. He's not too shabby in the studio, either, as this excerpt from his session tally reveals: The Rolling Stones, George Benson, Claudia Acuňa, Nathalie Cole, Diana Krall, and Tito Puente. An impassioned percussionist, restless to learn and perform, Luisito is also an excellent clinician, teacher, and band leader.
The Montréal Drum Fest welcomes Daniel de los Reyes and Luisito Quintero.