El Nego

Drummer, composer, arranger and producer Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez has been the propulsive force behind some of the most popular and influential Latin and Latin-fused music of the past three decades. Since leaving Cuba in 1990 his drumming has propelled the efforts of Grammy Award winners Michel Camilo, Roy Hargrove, Chucho Valdes, Gary Burton, Alejandro Sanz and Carlos Santana, as well as Paquito D’Rivera and Gonzalo Rubalcaba with a unique “Latin Fusion” style that melds the folkloric clave with the fierce punch, crisp snap and deep grooves of today’s Jazz, Pop, and Rock.

Hernandez first gained international recognition as drummer for the legendary pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba and his band, Proyecto. Once in the U.S., Hernandez—known internationally simply as “El Negro”—began contributing to some of the most extraordinary performances of the era, both live and in studio releases. Carlos Santana’s Supernatural (1999), a nine Grammy Award winner; Alejandro Sanz’ No Es Lo Mismo