{"title":"Hugo Cruz and Caminos","description":"\u003cp\u003eHugo Alexander Cruz Machado is a Cuban-born, award winning international drummer, composer, band leader, and music educator who has performed in South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Mexico, Chile, Venezuela, and the United States. Hugo is the leader of the group Caminos, who have made appearances at The Smithsonian Museum, Fábrica de Artes in Havana, Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, Carnegie Museum, and the Erie Blues and Jazz Festival, among others.  Caminos fuse rhythms and melodies of Afro-Cuban, Cuban, and American music, in an original contemporary expression that honors traditional Cuban form. Hugo Cruz and Caminos have released two albums: Figure It Out (2026) and Punto de Partida (2022), both of which feature notable musicians from Cuba and the United States, bridging genres of Afro Cuban, traditional Cuban, American jazz, funk, rock, R\u0026amp;amp;B, big band, drum and bass, danzón, cha cha chá, timba, and fusion. Punto de Partida was recognized by columnist Raul de Gama in Latin Jazz Net:“You may be expecting to be bombarded by clave and montuno…what you get is completely novel creativity in melody, harmony and – especially – rhythmic invention…. In fact, nothing is predictable about this music, all of which has been composed by Mr Cruz. If you respect tradition, you will renew it – and in a personal way. You will not be disappointed for you will hear performances that, while traditional in their rhythmic cues, are also luxuriously appointed with the forces that spell change in dogma.”  (Raul Da Gama, Latin Jazz Net)Figure It Out presents a collection of 8 original songs written by Hugo over the past 10 years. The production combines the musical genius of legendary and upcoming musicians, bridging musical styles from Cuba, Pittsburgh, and the United States more broadly.  On this record, Hugo was fortunate to record with Mario “Mayito” Rivera, Dave Weckl, Orlando Maraca Valle, Enrique Lazaga, Roger Humphries, Dwayne Dolphin, Max Leake, Lou Stellute, Roberto Garcia, Maikel Dinza, The Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra, and his father: violinist Hugo Cruz Olmo.A total of sixty-four musicians collaborated and recorded on the album, which took three years to fully produce.  The 8 tracks were recorded in studios across Pittsburgh and Cuba, including MCG Jazz, Duquesne University, Audible Images, La Egrem, and dBega Studios.  Each audio track is paired with a music video of the track’s live session. Jay Dudt, a four-time Grammy winner, and Carlos de la Bega served as sound engineers.While a resident of Cuba, Hugo toured regularly with Síntesis, a leading Afro Cuban rock-fusion group. Hugo has performed in Havana’s largest jazz festival, Jazz Plaza, with acclaimed artists Dave Weckl and Victor Goines. He is a graduate of the Instituto Superior de Artes, the leading arts university of Cuba, and in 2014, won the award as the “best drummer” at the international Festival del Tambor Guillermo Barreto in Memoriam in Havana, Cuba. In 2022, Cruz performed at Heinz Hall as a special guest of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Cruz has served as a teaching artist with several universities and arts and youth organizations throughout the region, including University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, Indiana University of PA, Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts, Rural Arts Collaborative, Hope Academy Orchestra, and Hill Dance Academy. He taught drumset and percussion at the Afro American Music Institute. In 2023, the Duquesne University Jazz Orchestra studied and performed a suite of Hugo’s original compositions from Punto de Partida, with musical arrangements and conducting done by the former director of Duquesne’s Jazz program, Mike Tomaro.  Hugo has shared the stage and studio with many of Cuba’s leading musicians, such as La Trovuntivitis, Tony Guzmán y Su Poder Latino, Síntesis, Janio Abreu y Aire de Concierto, Adrian Berazain, Interactivo, Zule Guerra, Alberto Lescay y Formas, La Academia de Ruy López Nussa, Silvio Rodriguez, Amaury Perez, Banda de Concierto Municipal de La Habana, Grupo Interactivo, Julito Padron, William Vivanco and Mayco de Alma.  Hugo performs and records with notable Pittsburgh artists, including Afro Yaqui Music Collective, Dr. James Johnson, Roger Humphries, Ernest McCarty Jr, Tubby Daniels, Dwayne Dolphin, Mark Strickland, Poogie Bell, Lou Stellute, Marty Ashby, Kenny Blake, and Max Leake. Hugo Alexander Cruz Machado is a Cuban-born, award winning, international drummer, composer, band leader and educator who has performed in South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Mexico, Chile, Venezuela, and the United States. Hugo is the leader of the group Caminos, who have made appearances at The Smithsonian Museum, Fábrica de Artes in Havana, Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, Carnegie Museum, and the Erie Blues and Jazz Festival, among others. Caminos fuse rhythms and melodies of Afro-Cuban, Cuban, and American music, in an original contemporary expression that honors traditional Cuban form. Caminos have released two albums: Figure It Out (2026) and Punto de Partida (2022), both of which feature notable musicians from Cuba and the United States, bridging genres of Afro Cuban, traditional Cuban, American jazz, funk, rock, R\u0026amp;amp;B, big band, drum and bass, danzón, cha cha chá, timba, and fusion. Punto de Partida was recognized by columnist Raul de Gama in Latin Jazz Net:“You may be expecting to be bombarded by clave and montuno…what you get is completely novel creativity in melody, harmony and – especially – rhythmic invention…. In fact, nothing is predictable about this music, all of which has been composed by Mr Cruz. If you respect tradition, you will renew it – and in a personal way. You will not be disappointed for you will hear performances that, while traditional in their rhythmic cues, are also luxuriously appointed with the forces that spell change in dogma.”  (Raul Da Gama, Latin Jazz Net)Figure It Out presents a collection of 8 original songs written by Hugo over the past 10 years. The production combines the musical genius of several legendary musicians who he has had the pleasure of meeting throughout his career, bridging musical styles from Cuba, Pittsburgh, and the United States more broadly. Hugo was fortunate to record with Mario Rivera, Dave Weckl, Orlando Maraca Valle, Enrique Lazaga, Roger Humphries, Dwayne Dolphin, Max Leake, Lou Stellute, Roberto Garcia, Maikel Dinza, The Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra, and his father: violinist Hugo Cruz Olmo. A total of sixty four musicians collaborated and recorded on the album, which took three years to fully produce.  The 8 tracks were recorded in well-known studios across Pittsburgh and Cuba, including MCG Jazz, Duquesne University, Audible Images, La Egrem, and dBega Studios. Each audio track is paired with a music video of the track’s live session (the music videos will be released on my YouTube channel). Jay Dudt, a four-time Grammy winner, and Carlos de la Bega served as sound engineers.While a resident of Cuba, Hugo toured regularly with Síntesis, a leading Afro Cuban rock-fusion group. Hugo has performed in Havana’s largest jazz festival, Jazz Plaza, with acclaimed artists Dave Weckl and Victor Goines. He is a graduate of the Instituto Superior de Artes, the leading arts university of Cuba, and in 2014, won the award as the “best drummer” at the international Festival del Tambor Guillermo Barreto in Memoriam in Havana, Cuba. In 2022, Cruz performed at Heinz Hall as a special guest of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Cruz has served as a teaching artist with several universities, and arts and youth organizations throughout the region, including University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, Indiana University of PA, Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts, Hope Academy Orchestra, Hill Dance Academy, and he taught drumset and percussion at the Afro American Music Institute. In 2023, the Duquesne University Jazz Orchestra studied and performed a suite of Hugo’s original compositions from Punto de Partida, with musical arrangements and conducting done by the former director of Duquesne’s Jazz program, Mike Tomaro.  Hugo has shared the stage and studio with many of Cuba’s leading musicians, such as La Trovuntivitis, Tony Guzmán y Su Poder Latino, Síntesis, Janio Abreu y Aire de Concierto, Adrian Berazain, Interactivo, Zule Guerra, Alberto Lescay y Formas, La Academia de Ruy López Nussa, Silvio Rodriguez, Amaury Perez, Banda de Concierto Municipal de La Habana, Grupo Interactivo, Julito Padron, William Vivanco and Mayco de Alma. Hugo performs and records with notable Pittsburgh artists, including Afro Yaqui Music Collective, Dr. James Johnson, Roger Humphries, Ernest McCarty Jr, Tubby Daniels, Dwayne Dolphin, Mark Strickland, Poogie Bell, Lou Stellute, Marty Ashby, Kenny Blake, and Max Leake.  in 2022, the classes this time were more focused on his own compositions and way of playing also The students did some arrangements of some songs in Hugo’s first album called Punto de Partida, finishing his guest teaching time with a concert where the students had the opportunity to perform their arrangements and more. Hugo had taught and performed for many organizations in the area such as:Pittsburgh Symphonic,  World Affairs Council Pittsburgh Tree Pittsburgh, Bike Pittsburgh, Hello Neighbor, Pittsburgh Music Chamber, MCG JAZZ, The Hill Dance Academy, The Afro American Music Institute, Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Steel City Arts Initiative, Pittsburgh Youth Chorus. The First Unitarian Church, Pittonkatonk 2023.https:\/\/www.solarlatinclub.com\/hugo-cruz-caminos-figure-it-out\/In May 2022 Caminos was the Jazz Band headliner for the Westsylvania Jazz and Blues Festival in Indiana.   First Night Pittsburgh 2020, City of Asylum, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, The Frick Museum, Con Alma, Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, Carnegie Music Hall Oakland, Pittsburgh PlayHouse, and events with Chamber Music Pittsburgh, Equity Impact, University of Pittsburgh Afro Latinidad Festival, Pittsburgh World Affairs Council,, Three Rivers Casino, among others. Pittonkatonk music festival, The album has been played in many radio stations around the USA, Mexico, Cuba and more. In 2026, Hugo Cruz and Caminos released a new album called Caminos have been performing in several places around Pittsburgh such as the Carnegie Museum, Carnegie Hall in Oakland, Pittsburgh PlayHouse, Frick Museum, Backstage, Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, Smithsonian Museum, City of Asylum, Bar,KDKA TV Station, Monroeville Jazz Festival, PCTV Station, Nemacolin, Greer Cabaret Theatre, Mr. Smalls Theatre, ThunderBird Cafe, Marquette Square, SouthSide Works, Liberty Magic, Pittsburgh Casino, Con Alma and Kingfly Spirits where Caminos is been hosting for more than a year a concert series called, The Voice of Drums, which brings many great drummers from the Pittsburgh area such: Roger Humphries, Poogie Bell, Lou Stelute, Tubby Daniels, Noel Quintana, Dennis Gardner, Jeff Berman, Joe Sheehan, Samuel Oko-Boateng, Colter Harper, James Johnson III, Mike Tomaro, The Cookie Table to join Camino’s way of expressing music. Caminos is also hosting a Cuban Night concert at Kingfly Spirits every month where the focus is to bring the music of Cuba to the PA area. While a resident of Cuba, Hugo toured regularly with Síntesis, a leading Afro Cuban rock-fusion group. Hugo has performed in Havana’s largest jazz festival, Jazz Plaza, with acclaimed artists Dave Weckl and Victor Goines. He is a graduate of the Instituto Superior de Artes, the leading arts university of Cuba, and in 2014, won the award as the “best drummer” at the international Festival del Tambor Guillermo Barreto in Memoriam in Havana, Cuba. Hugo has shared the stage and studio with many of Cuba’s leading musicians, such as La Trovuntivitis, Tony Guzmán y Su Poder Latino, Síntesis, Janio Abreu y Aire de Concierto, Adrian Berazain, Interactivo, Zule Guerra, Alberto Lescay y Formas, La Academia de Ruy López Nussa, Silvio Rodriguez, Amaury Perez, Banda de Concierto Municipal de La Habana, Grupo Interactivo, Julito Padron, William Vivanco and Mayco de Alma. Hugo performs and records with notable Pittsburgh artists, including Afro Yaqui Music Collective, Dr. James Johnson, Aaron Johnson, Roger Humphries, Ernest McCarty Jr, Tubby Daniels, Dwayne Dolphin, MarkStrickland, Poogie Bell, Lou Stelute, Marty Ashby, Kenny Blake, and Max Leake. Hugo also performed at the Heinz Hall as a special guest of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Cruz is a drum and percussion teacher at the Afro American Music Institute. He has been teaching as a guest artist at Hope Academy Orchestra, at the University of Pittsburgh in Ben Barson’s class and Yoko Suzuky, the topics in these classes were the history of Cuban and afro Cuban Jazz as well all the others traditional music and drums from the island. Hugo, also taught at Duquesne University in 2022, the classes this time were more focused on his own compositions and way of playing also The students did some arrangements of some songs in Hugo’s first album called Punto de Partida, finishing his guest teaching time with a concert where the students had the opportunity to perform their arrangements and more. Hugo had taught and performed for many organizations in the area such as:Pittsburgh Symphonic,  World Affairs Council Pittsburgh Tree Pittsburgh, Bike Pittsburgh, Hello Neighbor, Pittsburgh Music Chamber, MCG JAZZ, The Hill Dance Academy, The Afro American Music Institute, Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Steel City Arts Initiative, Pittsburgh Youth Chorus.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"hugo-cruz-and-caminos-figure-it-out-cd","title":"Hugo Cruz and Caminos - Figure It Out (CD)","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom Santa Clara To Havana To Pittsburgh, Hugo Cruz Figures It Out…\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Hugo Cruz first came on my radar in Havana nearly a decade ago, he was already a rising drummer – he had won a contest at Giraldo Piloto’s brutally competitive Fiesta del Tambor Guillermo Barreto en Memoriam, a sort of musical Thunderdome for percussionists, and he was playing with Sintesis, one of Cuba’s most important Afro Cuban fusion bands. So, we knew this young man who was born and raised in Santa Clara, a much smaller city in central Cuba, was impressive, we just had no idea yet how deep the river of compositions and arrangements also running through his head truly ran.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn all great music, fate can be as important as excellence, and Hugo’s encounters with Albertico Lescay, whose group FORMAS played a brief but important role in Cuba’s NuJazz scene, ultimately led to performances with Ben Barson’s Afro Yaqui Music Collective in Pittsburgh. What began as a couple of visits eventually turned into a sort of commuter lifestyle for Hugo, and the experience was also giving him new sources of inspiration. Finally, in 2018, he decided that relocating to Pittsburgh made sense (which he did the following year), but he never abandoned his ties with Cuba or his vast musical family there. His first album under his own name, Punto de Partida in 2022, was a superb, critically acclaimed Afro Cuban jazz album, but something even more expansive was yet to come.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePittsburgh is a more fertile ground for what you are going to hear than one might think. Several important jazz figures came from there (Art Blakey, Kenny Clarke, Billy Strayhorn and Roy Eldridge are but a few of many examples), Gene Kelly came from there, the support system for the arts is vibrant (such as the Afro Yaqui Music Collective, and City of Asylum, which hosted the release concert for this album, is a loving bosom for arts from elsewhere; there is a healthy support system in area universities, and in the case of this album, Figure It Out, The Heinz Endowments made possible a project with a scope that many people in other cities might have considered impractical if not insane – 64 musicians, including some of Cuba’s musical elite, some of Pittsburgh’s underrecognized jazz artists and a couple of marquee names like Dave Weckl and Roger Humphries, bringing together serious Cuban music with serious North American jazz and funk. Multiple sessions, multiple studios, two countries, but one unifying concept –all of the compositions and arrangements are Hugo's (with collaborators on two of the tracks).\u003cbr\u003eIt’s fitting that Pittsburgh was the cradle of Billy Strayhorn, whose longtime “boss”, Duke Ellington, famously wrote “There are simply two kinds of music, good music and the other kind.\" Since marketers and critics won’t accept “Good Music” as a label, Latin Jazz probably works better than anything else, but it’s so much more, as Hugo himself would be the first to insist. You’ll just have to Figure It Out on your own while you listen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBill Tilford\u003cbr\u003eFrom the Isle of Music and TIMBA (dot com)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hugo Cruz and Caminos","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52841758064933,"sku":"195269413644","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0758\/1250\/3845\/files\/album-cover-3.5MB-1-1-1-scaled.jpg?v=1784864770"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0758\/1250\/3845\/collections\/album-cover-3.5MB-1-1-1-scaled.jpg?v=1784911360","url":"https:\/\/store.spinneymedia.com\/collections\/hugo-cruz-and-caminos.oembed","provider":"Spinney Media","version":"1.0","type":"link"}