Ignacio Berroa


Ignacio Berroa is a jazz drummer.
In 1980 Berroa left his country during the Mariel Boatlift, moved to New York and joined Dizzy Gillespie’s quartet in 1981, becoming the drummer of the band Gillespie formed until his death in 1993.
Berroa has been recognized by many as one of the greatest drummers of our time. Jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie best defined Berroa as: "... the only Latin drummer in the world in the history of American music that intimately knows both worlds: his native Afro-Cuban music as well as Jazz..."
As an educator Berroa has conducted clinics and master classes all over the world. He also has created a video-teaching presentation "Afro-Cuban Jazz and Beyond", an overview of the development of Afro-Cuban music and its influence in jazz.
As an author he made his mark with the instructional video: Mastering the Art of Afro – Cuban Drumming as well as the books: Groovin’ in Clave and A New Way of Groovin’.
His first album as a leader, Codes, released under Blue Note Records, was nominated for a Grammy in 2006. Codes also won a Danish Music Award in 2007 as best International Jazz Album. He was honored by inclusion in the 2011 Blue Note and Modern Drummer Release titled "Jazz Drumming Legends".
His album Heritage and Passion was recorded on 2014.
Berroa has recorded and played with musicians of the stature of McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis, Freddie Hubbard, Jackie McLean, Michael Brecker, Milt Jackson, Jaco Pastorius, Ron Carter, Charlie Haden, Tito Puente, Mario Bauzá, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Gilberto Gil, Ivan Lins, Joao Bosco, Lenny Andrade, the Lincoln Center Orchestra, WDR Big Band and the BBC Big Band.

Discography

As leader

Codes Heritage and Passion
  • ''Straight Ahead from Havana''

As sideman

With Dizzy Gillespie
With Charlie Haden
  • 2001 Nocturne
  • 2004 Land of the Sun
With Paul Haines
  • 1994 Darn It!
  • 1994 Poems by Paul Haines Musics by Many
With Kip Hanrahan
  • 1982 Coup de Tête
  • 1982 Desire Develops an Edge
  • 1985 A Few Short Notes from the End Run
  • 1985 Vertical's Currency
  • 1988 Conjure: Cab Calloway Stands in for the Moon
  • 1988 Days and Nights of Blue Luck Inverted
  • 1990 Tenderness
  • 1995 All Roads Are Made of the Flesh
With Tito Puente
With Paquito D'Rivera
  • 1986 Manhattan Burn
  • 1994 Taste of Paquito
With Claudio Roditi
  • 1989 Slow Fire
  • 1996 Jazz Turns Samba
With Silvio Rodríguez
  • 1975 Dias y Flores
  • 1988 Dias Y Flores: Song of the Nueva Trova Cubana
  • 2000 Arboles
With Gonzalo Rubalcaba
  • 1999 Inner Voyage
  • 2001 Supernova
  • 2004 Paseo
With Hilton Ruiz
  • 1986 Something Grand
  • 1992 Manhattan Mambo
  • 1993 Heroes
  • 1995 Hands On Percussion
  • 1997 Island Eyes
With Steve Turre
With McCoy Tyner
With others