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Octavio Hernandez

I'm a musician that happends to play guitar from the Canary Islands nowadays rooted in Barcelona.

About Me

(eng)

Octavio D. Hernández is musician that happends to play guitar from the Canary Islands, so to say Islander, nowadays rooted in Barcelona. His relationship with music begins at an early age from two very different ways of influence: on one side the Canary Islands folklore and on the other, jazz, blues and rock. Beign self-taught in 2001 he moved to Barcelona where he receive hands-on classes from musicians as relevant in the Catalan and Spanish music scene as Jordi Bonell, Viçens Solsona or Dani Pérez and begins his studies in the Taller de Musics where he completes part of his jazz studies. In addition to his studies at the Taller de Musics he participated in seminars and master classes with Chris Higgins, Seamus Blake, Kurt Rosenwinkel, David Friesen, Perico Sambeat, Javier Colina, Iñaki Salvador, Lage Lund, Peter Bernstein among others. In 2005 he moved to New York City where he studied with Johnathan Kreisberg and Peter Bernstein. In 2012 he finishes his complementary studies of music in the Superior School of Music of Catalonia, ESMuC, obtaining the superior title of Jazz and Modern Music (JiMM) with his degree project on the figure of Frank Zappa. In the professional field he has participated in many projects from his own jazz quartet, “Now Quartet”, with which he has shared the stage with musicians such as Santi de La Rubia, Mariano Steimberg, Tom Warburton, Joan Terol, César Joaniquet or Miguel Serna, hiphop with IFS-Crew, funk and Cuban music with Mel Semé, “mestizaje” with Radio Malanga or afrobeat with Alma Afrobeat Ensemble among others. He has had the opportunity to share the stage at the Canarian Jazz Festival with the Charlie Moreno Group, at the Canarias Jazz Showroom with Aldo Caviglia and Paco Perera at the Canarias Jazz Showroom in 2013 presenting his latest solo work on the figure of Thelonious Monk with a great reception, in 2015 with Takeo Takahashi Quintet at the Festival Noorpas de Finalndia, Alfredo Kraus Auditorium, and many clubs throughout Spain. In 2015 he participates as professor in the seminar of Jazz and Modern Music of Tenerife together with Abe Rábade, Chris Cheek or Joe Magnarelli among others. He leads his own quartet, OH4t, with Kike Perdomo on sax, Audun Waage on trumpet, Giampaolo Laurentaci on bass and Juan Luís Castaño on drums and in the Haziram Trio trio with Aldo Caviglia and Giampaolo Laurentaci. As sideman he plays regularly with Kike Perdomo with whom he recorded his last work, Roots and with the Big Band of the Canary Islands, with which they participate in his last album, Hangin'Out, with the arrangements of the Danish pianist Soren Möller. Also with Takeo Takahashi with whom he has recorded Eight Songs for Nine Years. He is a stable member of the band Simbeque, in which the Canarian folklore is revisited from a modern point of view. His first work, Simbeque Vo.I, has received very good reviews. He takes part in the last album by Aridane Martín, an islander vibraphonist based in Barcelona, called Tiebelé. He has just published his first work as leader, Tuna Happiness, recorded with his usual quintet and in which appear seven originals and a theme by Milton Nascimento sailing freely between the lines of jazz and world-music.

In words of Jonathan Kreisberg, ”Octavio has long been one of Spain's best kept secrets. He has an extremely fluid technique and a time feel that makes him one of the best of those born in the motherland of the guitar, but he is also writing interesting music that combines world music with jazz ideas in a unique way. Check out Tuna Happiness, for the full experience!”

(esp)

Músico, guitarrista de las Islas Canarias, desde hace años radicado en Barcelona. En 2001 se traslada a Barcelona siendo su formación hasta llegar a esta ciudad totalmente autodidacta. Establecido en Barcelona recibe clases de mano de músicos tan relevantes en la escena musical catalana y española como Jordi Bonell, Viçens Solsona o Dani Pérez y empieza sus estudios en el Taller de Musics donde completa parte de sus estudios de jazz. Paralelamente a sus estudios en el Taller de Musics participa en seminarios y clases magistrales con Chris Higgins, Seamus Blake, Kurt Rosenwinkel, David Friesen, Perico Sambeat, Javier Colina, Iñaki Salvador, Lage Lund, entre otros. En 2005 se traslada a Nueva York ciudad dónde estudia con Johnathan Kreisberg y Peter Bernstein. En 2012 termina sus estudios complementarios de música en la Escuela Superior de Música de Catalunya, ESMuC , obteniendo la titulación superior de Jazz i Música Moderna (JiMM) con su proyecto de fin de carrera sobre la figura de Frank Zappa. En el ámbito profesional ha participado en numerosos proyectos desde su propio cuarteto, Now Quartet, con el que ha compartido escenario con músicos como Santi de La Rubia, Mariano Steimberg, Tom Warburton, Joan Terol, César Joaniquet o Miguel Serna, pasando por el hiphop con IFS-Crew, funk y música cubana con Mel Semé, mestizaje con Radio Malanga o afrobeat con Alma Afrobeat Ensemble entre otros. Ha tenido oportunidad de compartir escenario en el Festival de Jazz de Canarias con el Charlie Moreno Group, en el Canarias Jazz Showroom con Aldo Caviglia y Paco Perera , en el Canarias Jazz Showroom de 2013 presentando su último trabajo a guitarra solo sobre la figura de Thelonious Monk con una estupenda acogida, en 2015 con el Takeo Takahashi Quintet en el Festival Noorpas de Finalndia, Auditorio Alfredo Kraus, CICCA y multitud de clubes por toda España. En 2015 participa como profesor en el seminario de Jazz y Música Moderna de Tenerife junto con Abe Rábade, Chris Cheek o Joe Magnarelli entre otros. Lidera su propio cuarteto, OH4t, con Kike Perdomo al saxo, Audun Waage a la trompeta, Giampaolo Laurentaci al contrabajo y Juan Luís Castaño a la batería y su trío Haziram Trio con Aldo Caviglia y Giampaolo Laurentaci. Como sideman toca habitualmente con Kike Perdomo con el cuál ha grabado su último trabajo a quinteto, Roots y con la Big Band de Canarias, con la que participa en su último disco, Hangin'Out, con los arreglos del pianista danés Soren Möller. También con Takeo Takahashi con quién ha grabado Eight Songs For Nine Years. Es miembro estable de la banda Simbeque, en la que se revisita el folklore Canario desde un punto de vista moderno. Su primer trabajo, Simbeque Vo.I, ha recibido muy buenas críticas. Participa en el último disco de Aridane Martín, vibrafonista canario afincado en Barcelona, que lleva por título Tiebelé. Actualmente acaba de publicar su primer trabajo como líder, Tuna Happiness, grabado con su quinteto habitual y en el que encontramos siete originales y un tema de Milton Nascimento y que se mueve por entre las líneas del jazz y del world music. En palabras de Jonathan Kreisberg, ””Octavio has long been one of Spain's best kept secrets. He has an extremely fluid technique and a time feel that makes him one of the best of those born in the motherland of the guitar, but he is also writing interesting music that combines world music with jazz ideas in a unique way. Check out Tuna Happiness, for the full experience!”