Latin Rhythms With Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez

Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez has been amazing audiences nationally and internationally for years.

There have only been a few times when I think to myself that you must have grown up in a certain culture to truly play the music the belongs to that culture. More than anything I believe that with hard work and dedication you can really play any style on the drums. Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez is one of the drummers that just floors me with his ability to keep those Afro-Cuban beats going with all his limbs simultaneously. It’s tough to explain in writing, so I trust you’ll start to see what I mean in a few videos I shared below. Do me a favor and listen hard for what his left foot is doing in these videos. He can keep a Clave beat without even thinking about it, and play in completely different times on top of it. I hope you enjoy the videos as much as I did!

Hernandez performed for the Modern Drummer Festival in 2000 with another percussionist. This video features the best way to see what I was talking about above. He plays with time quite a bit while keeping a solid Clave beat with his left foot. Check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJEp8J5sURM.

One of the jazz groups he has been a part of is the trio with Michel Camlio on piano and Anthony Jackson on bass. Check out this performance of the song, “On Fire,” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f8aGZNZTE8. His hands must be on fire after this performance!

Lastly, Hernandez performed a piece with bassist Richard Bono. The song is all groove and features the duo in their elements. Check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xnMaRyf4B0.

I hope you enjoyed the sophisticated Afro-Cuban rhythms of Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez. I sure had a fun time watching all the videos and being amazed by what he can do with a beat. There’s more coming your way at Play Drums By Ear so stay tuned.

Thanks,

Chris