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| Rolando Morales and wild mustangs RioVida Networks (California) and Rolando Morales, have joined together to promote the Mustang Rally, an international effort to raise awareness of the need to save the wild Mustangs, which are being unnecessarily rounded up and exterminated each day. RioVida Networks and Rolando Morales will donate 10% of CD sales from the Mustang Rally site to this effort and invite all of you to become part of the Mustang Rally. The Friends of the Mustang Rally welcome Rolando into the community. Join the Mustang Rally now! Go to: RioVida Mustang Rally . An acclaimed guitarist, vocalist, composer and recording artist, Rolando Morales leads his stellar band, which is in demand for Latin Jazz, Flamenco-Samba, Afro Cuban Grooves and more. Rolando Morales' Groups feature noted musicians who have also played with renowned bands including Sheila E., Airto, Dizzy Gillespie, Tower of Power, Spearhead, Rubn Blades and Carlos Santana. Rolando, who resides in the San Francisco Bay Area, has performed throughout Spain, England, Italy, Ireland, Mexico and Hawaii. His diverse talents span the musical spectrum. On a given night, you might hear him performing a sophisticated range of music from classical and flamenco-inspired instrumentals to hard-swinging Latin-jazz; from original sambas to passionately sung boleros; from driving Cuban grooves to Latin rhythms with a rock or funk edge. Rolando was born in East Los Angeles, California. Rolando's father, a renowned leader in the Chicano political movement, was his first guitar instructor. When Rolando was eight years old, he would run home from school every day to practice on his guitar. His father taught him fundamental classical guitar and music techniques as well as instilled a keen political consciousness and an intense work ethic. This exposed him to everything from Mexican rancheras to June Christie; from Antonio Carlos Jobim and Segovia to '60's Protest songs; and from Ennio Morricone to John Barry. Pull all this together and you've got one of the most eclectic, educated, driven and unique musicians around. Rolando is largely self-taught. Blessed with great ears and a natural sense of rhythm, most of what he learned came from performing in diverse bands while growing up and in college, as well as from playing with flamenco pros in mesones in Spain. Rolando has performed throughout Spain, England, Italy, Ireland, Mexico, and Hawaii. Just out of college, he played with a 9 piece casual band comprised of members who backed such stars as Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, and Poncho Sanchez. After moving to San Francisco to attend law school, he still found time to dabble in music. He then returned to his passion, the acoustic nylon-stringed guitar, and co-founded the very popular band Passion and Grace in 1991 with Carlos Godinez. Together they expanded the capabilities of blending Latin jazz with flamenco, classical, Brazilian and pop influences with guitar and voice. While working a law-oriented job with the City and County of San Francisco, Rolando accepted an offer to tour Hawaii and has hardly looked back since. Passion and Grace became hugely successful in Hawaii and the Bay Area. Rolando continued to perform dividing his time equally between the Bay Area and Hawaii for a couple more years, then he moved to Oakland and concentrated on developing his band and repertoire. He now plays with world-class musicians who have backed up such luminaries as Airto, Flora Purim, Steve Winwood, Tower of Power, Spearhead, Ruben Blades, Carlos Santana, Dizzy Gillespie and many others. Rolando Morales has released his latest CD entitled Rolando, Y Que?! Just weeks out of the gate, it was embraced by radio stations from Alaska to New York and its popularity continues to expand. With his new CD, Rolando is introducing a daring, sophisticated new sound that fills the void created by so many industry-manufactured pop bands and indistinguishable "smooth jazz" sounds. Rolando now stands poised to attract a national and international audience. Here is an artist who provides passion, power and authenticity in his musical compositions and performances. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |