Ramon's Condensed Press Kit Bio
RAMON TARANCO is a New York City-based, Toronto raised-and-educated, Cuban-Mexican composer & guitarist whose world beat fusion music runs the gamut from Afro-Cuban Jazz & Blues to Southern Rock & New Orleans Funk.
Solo, duo & band performances in New York City include a March 2011 concert at Monroe College in The Bronx, New York's Soul of the Blues Festival @ The Cornelia Street Cafe in Greenwich Village, 8 concerts in the Guggenheim Museum's World Beat Jazz Series, "Celebrating the Diaspora: Strummin the Americas" for African-American Heritage Month @ Bronx Museum of Fine Arts, the on-stage performing guitarist in Liz Swados' opera "Missionaries" @ Brooklyn Academy of Music's Majestic Theater, Queens Museum of Art, Harborside Jazz Festival, New York State University @ Stony Brook, Manhattanville College, The Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims, Latino Heritage Month Celebration @ Javits Convention Center, Astoria's Hellenic Cultural Center, in a concert celebrating Martin Luther King Jr's birthday @ Newark Public Library, numerous corporate events and private functions, and regular appearances in NYC jazz and blues clubs ie Izzy Bar, The Mozart Cafe and Cabaret Nights and Jazz Brunches at La Belle Epoque.
Ramon Taranco + His Havana Blues Revue is currently playing in Manhattan and the Boroughs as a trio with Ramon (guitar and vocals), Judd Neilsen (organ, piano and harmonica), and Yahoteh Kokayi (drums and percussion.)
Prior to moving to New York in December 1994, Ramon was based in Toronto Canada. Ramon played blues, jazz and classical guitar in many of Toronto's premier venues including the Harbourfront Centre's Brigantine Room & the Water's Edge Cafe, C'est What, The Riverboat, University of Toronto's Hart House Theatre, the Windsor Arms Hotel's Courtyard Cafe, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, and in the Senator Hotel's Top O' the Senator Guitar Bar Series among others.
Ramon has also toured in Western Canada & several times across Ontario (including Sudbury's Laurentian University) giving concerts, lecture/recitals & guitar clinics.
Live radio performances and interviews include The Gutbucket Blues Show on NYC's WBAI, the CBC's Morningside & Musical Friends and on CKLN (Toronto.) Ramon also gave live interviews on WBAI's New World Gallery & Radio Libre & on KPFT's Son Pacifica (Houston Texas.) Ramon's April 10th 2011 interview with host Ibrahim Gonzales on Radio Libre is posted on our "Kick Back n Listen" page.
Ramon's 2 CDs, Music From the Bermuda Triangle and The Adventures of Bo Segovia, present 16 of his organic and very natural eclectic compositions. Encompassing a wide variety of styles, they range from solo guitar (electric and acoustic) to full band. Music From the Bermuda Triangle is primarily a world beat jazz album with some blues accents. The Adventures of Bo Segovia is mostly blues and funk.
Blues, indie jazz and eclectic free form radio shows on public and commercial stations often play Ramon's Spirit of Muddy Waters and Ghost Dance tracks but all 16 tracks from his 2 CDs get regular airplay. To date, Ramon's music has received airplay on at least 350 stations in 50 countries around the globe. In the USA alone, we know of 131 stations across 41 states that have played Ramon's music.
In February 2010, The Adventures of Bo Segovia CD was #3 on the Roots Music Report international top 100 jazz charts and #10 on the New York State top 100 roots artists (all genres) chart; where rating are tallied based on airplay on 500 affiliated stations worldwide.
His music is on the soundtracks for American documentary, "Poverty Outlaw," and Canadian film, "L'Hombre."
The Chronicle - Ramon's detailed bio
CHILDHOOD
Ramon Taranco was born in Havana, Cuba. His mother is Mexican- American and his father Cuban. At age five, Taranco was enrolled in a school run by an order of French-Canadian nuns and priests from Quebec City. As the Cuban Revolution was flowering, Ramon's father got into political hot water and was forced to flee Cuba overnight with his wife and son. On the recommendation of the Canadian nuns, the Taranco’s moved to Toronto.
FALLING IN LOVE WITH MUSIC
Before he was a teen, Ramon got the rock and roll bug when he saw the Beatles perform on the Ed Sullivan Show. After teaching himself to play the guitar and read music, Taranco learned the ropes by hanging out with more experienced players and asking lots of questions. Eventually, Ramon formed the band, “Motor.” It was a little odd for the young Cuban to be in a band whose members were predominantly Brits, Scots and Irishmen. Even the bands first manager, Marty Melhuish (now a music journalist and documentary writer), was from England. These were the days of The Jeff Beck Group (most of the band's repertoire came from the album "Truth"), Led Zeppelin, Cream, Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones.
Under the musical leadership of his partner British-born slide guitarist, Stephen Keen, Motor started playing professionally. Despite being well under the drinking age, Motor would play in Toronto area bars on the same bill as older pro musicians as well as college and high school dances, community centers, and ski resorts. While touring tough Northern Ontario mining and logging towns (Levac, Sturgeon Falls, Sudbury...), fights often broke out during shows - violence that was almost always directed at Motor’s long-haired lads with their Italian suits.
AN INTRODUCTION TO FINGER-PICKING STYLES
At age 15, Ramon worked at the Mexican Music Centre on Toronto’s Yonge Street for a summer. Owned by the experienced Toronto-based Mexican singer, guitarist and band leader, Raphael Nunez, the store sold only Mexican-made Nunez classical guitars, guitar strings and sheet music including numerous folk blues publications. Many musicians visited the store including electric blues and flamenco guitarists, and travis pickers from Nashville (prompting Ramon to listen to Chet Atkins and Merle Travis).
When a Brazilian guitarist played him a solo guitar version of "The Girl From Ipanema," Taranco instantly fell in love with nylon-stringed guitars. At this time, Ramon was also listening extensively to Chicago Blues Bands (Paul Butterfield, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, Muddy Waters, Magic Sam, T-Bone Walker, Bo Diddley, Little Walter and his favorite, J. B. Lenoir). Taranco also started listening to early blues musicians Robert Johnson, Mississippi John Hurt, Son House, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, and Bessie Smith.
Towards the end of high school, a friend of Ramon’s played him Lenny Breau’s LP “The Velvet Touch of Lenny Breau” that included what would become Ramon’s favorite - Lenny’s version of the Jerry Reed composition “The Claw.” John Renbourn’s LP “Sir John Alot” was also a major influence; as were samba/jazz guitarist Charlie Byrd and classical guitarist Andrés Segovia.
At age 19, Ramon sold his electric guitar and went totally acoustic.
ADVANCED MUSICAL TRAINING
After high school, Taranco attended the Ryerson Theatre School but lost interest in acting towards the end of the first year. Thirsting to learn classical guitar music, he started exploring manuscripts at the Toronto Music Reference Library. Ramon had already taught himself to read guitar music and had also played 1st violin in his high school’s symphony orchestra. Taranco taught himself to play the guitar pieces from the library; however, not knowing the level of their difficulty.
With the help of concert pianist Glen Mazer, who happened to be on staff at Ryerson Theater School, Taranco developed a basic understanding of renaissance counterpoint as it applied to the guitar.
Once he had learned the pieces, Taranco auditioned for Carl van Feggelen, then principle guitar teacher at the Royal Conservatory of Music. Impressed with Taranco’s playing, van Feggelen suggested that he study with Norbert Kraft. As Kraft’s student, Ramon became totally absorbed in classical guitar.
After one year of part-time studies, Kraft put Taranco into recitals and encouraged him to pursue a career as a pro classical guitarist. Ramon also studied with British classical guitarist John Mills, Cuban classical guitarist Leo Brouwer, Eli Kassner, Carl van Feggelen and John Libratore; studied jazz guitar with Hank Monis and Tony Bradon; and jazz improvization with flugelhorn player, Freddie Stone – formerly of the Duke Ellington band.
While still a student, Ramon started playing professional solo recitals in churches and libraries and did gigs in restaurants and hotels; as well as student recitals at the Royal Conservatory of Music Recital Hall, and the University of Toronto.
At this time, Ramon met and started performing jazz and classical duets with a fellow student, violinist Igor Romanyk - a dynamic musical association that has flourished professionally and continues to this day.
MENTORS
One of Ramon’s most profound experiences was meeting his hero, guitar legend Lenny Breau, before one of Lenny’s gigs at the Riverboat. From that day forward, Ramon hung out with Lenny whenever he could and took some private lessons with him. A few years later, Ramon also attended Lenny’s workshop at George’s Spaghetti House that Don Francks organized for a select group of Toronto pro guitarists. This would be the last time Ramon saw Lenny before his tragic death.
Another very important musical relationship began when a girlfriend introduced Taranco to Mendelson Joe of the blues band, the “McKenna- Mendelson Mainline.” Joe was a regular solo headliner in the late 70s at the Riverboat - the club that had featured Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, and Junior Wells and Buddy Guy, to name a few. After hearing Ramon play classical guitar, Joe invited Ramon to open for him at nine of his Riverboat gigs. Ramon also opened and played with Joe in other clubs and venues like Innis College Town Hall.
Acting as Ramon’s mentor, Mendelson Joe played a key role in the recording of some tracks on Taranco’s first CD, “Music From the Bermuda Triangle;” by donating some of his artwork as payment for studio time.
TEACHING GUITAR
Needing another source of income while he was in college, Ramon taught guitar at the Koffler Center for the Arts. As the school’s director, Toronto Symphony conductor Victor Feldbrill presided over a very prestigious teaching staff that included Toronto Symphony musicians: cellist George Horvath and violinist Harold Sumberg.
TOURING AND CONCERTS
As Taranco started working more as a performer, he eventually left the Koffler and the Conservatory to fully embrace his musical career. He started performing in concert halls, theatres, libraries and schools; touring all across Ontario in many towns and cities (Windsor, Sudbury, Thunder Bay…). His program consisted of classical, ragtime, jazz, blues and popular music. During this time, Taranco gave solo recitals, duo performances with different African and Latin percussionists (Quammie Williams, Chi Sharpe, Basi Mahlasela, and Memo Acevedo) at universities like Laurentian University and the University of Toronto (Hart House Theatre).
Ramon played guitar duets with Rob Pilch at the Art Gallery of Ontario and Peter Mathers at the St Lawrence Centre; and gave a solo classical guitar concert on the mainstage at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre.
CLUBS AND RESTAURANTS
Nightclub, restaurant and cafe venues where Taranco performed as a solo guitarist included The Courtyard Café (Windsor Arms Hotel), The Royal York Hotel and Daniel’s of Nobleton. He also did stints as the house guitarist at Pears, Fitzgerald’s, Au Bon Appetit and a 4-year stint at the Mediterra on Front Street.
BLUES DUOS
Ramon played in an acoustic harmonica/guitar blues duo with Carlos del Junco for 3 years. They performed on CKLN Ryerson Radio, at the Waters Edge Café and nightclubs like Zydecos. Ramon also played in blues and jazz duos with blues harmonica players Jon Dickie and Michael Pickett and jazz violinist Lenny Solomon.
GRANTS
During this time, Taranco received several arts grants: an Ontario Arts Council Multi-Cultural music recording grant, a composition grant from the Toronto Arts Council, another composition grant from the Ontario Arts Council, and a new talent recording grant from The Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent on Record (FACTOR). These grants made it possible for Ramon to continue recording songs for his first CD of original compositions, “Music From the Bermuda Triangle.”
ADJUDICATOR
FACTOR also recruited Taranco to be a music adjudicator on committees that granted money to Canadian classical, rock, jazz and world beat recording artists.
WORLD MUSIC INFLUENCES
Dating back to childhood, Ramon was exposed by his mother and father to Cuban and West African music (Celia Cruz, Sonora Matancera, Miguelito Valdez, Guillermo Portabales, Benny More, Orquestra Aragon…).
Shortly after leaving the Conservatory, Ramon’s involvement with Cuban and African music increased. He attended a South African dance concert at York University where South African dancer/ percussionist Basi Mahlasela was performing with Cooly Koaho and some other members of what had been “Two Faces of Africa” (a touring South African dance troop) who took political asylum in Canada while performing at Toronto’s O’Keefe Centre.
WORLD MUSIC PERFORMER
Ramon and some of the South Africans formed a band that included Chi Sharpe, Steve Donald (trombone), Quammie Williams and Tim Mason (drummer). The band performed a fusion of jazz, rock and South African music and gave a few concerts including one at Trinity St. Paul’s Church on Toronto’s Bloor Street. Basi Mahlasela and Cooly Koaho would eventually perform on “Music From the Bermuda Triangle.”
MUSIC FROM THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE
Ramon's first CD of original music, “Music From the Bermuda Triangle,” is an Afro-Jazz-Latin fusion album. Strong on percussion, it offers a balanced blend of instrumental and vocal songs using authentic ancient traditional instruments as well as electric guitars and keyboards. “Snow Scorpion,” “Mantiki I” and “Mantiki II” are African-related instrumental pieces. “Yoruba Cuba” and “Music From the Bermuda Triangle” are Afro-Cuban inspired songs with vocals. For some classic southern rock, there’s “Sugar Can Rider” where Ramon shares special memories of his childhood in Cuba. There’s also a tango on the CD, “Tango Solito.” And for R&B lovers, there’s the gospel-influenced “Hard Work.”
Recorded in Toronto, Canada and mixed by Grammy and Juno Award Winning engineer, Kevin Doyle, this fascinating World Beat Fusion gem features musicians from Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Ghana, Holland, Jamaica, Portugal, South Africa and the USA. Vocalists: Raul Galvez, Yohanna van der Kley, Cooly Koaho, Betty Richardson, Jackie Richardson, Ramon Taranco, Pat Thomas and Liz Tilden. On violin, Ben Mink; harmonica, Carlos del Junco; accordion, Jose Sousa; organ, Peter Nunn; saxophones, Pat Labarbera and Mark Promane; electric and acoustic guitars, Ramon Taranco; cello, Doug Innis; double bass, Kieran Overs; electric bass, Jeff Jones and John Yelland; drums and percussion, Memo Acevedo, Bob Becker, Steve Foster, Basi Mahlasela and Dick Smith.
“Music From the Bermuda Triangle” received extensive radio airplay across Europe Germany, Sweden, the UK, Belgium, France, Spain] and North America [New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Houston, Portland, Toronto...], in Havana, Cuba, the Bahamas, and Moscow, Russia. It was often featured on Iñaki Peña’s unique Trébede, the highly popular and original strictly World Music radio show on Madrid’s Radio Naçional de España.
FILM COMPOSER AND MUSICAL ADVISOR
A track from the CD, “Tango Solito,” (written and produced by Taranco) was commissioned by the Canadian Film Centre (founded by Norman Jewison) for the film “L’Hombre” (Catherine Martin, director) that premiered at the Montreal Film Festival. Another track, “Mantiki II,” was featured on the soundtrack of documentary Academy Award winners Peter Kinoy and Pamela Yates’ documentary, “Poverty Outlaw” that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
Ramon also served as a music consultant and guitar teacher for the 20th Century Fox feature film “PCU.”
WORLD MUSIC ARRANGER
As Taranco was becoming more widely-known as a World Music performer, a Canadian producer (working for the New York publishing firm of McGraw-Hill) hired him to co-write the musical arrangements, recruit, rehearse and record 6 songs of Mexican, Panamanian, and Puerto Rican origins. These songs are now used in the Spanish language curriculums of schools across the United States.
RADIO ANNOUNCER AND WRITER
As a freelance musical researcher, Ramon created CBC radio show “The Scatterlings” about West African musical influences on Afro-American music. He prepared, scripted and was the announcer for: a 3-part series, “Storm Warning: the History of New Orleans Rhythm and Blues from 1948 to the present” which aired on CIUT; and another radio documentary, “Sliding Across America: a history of slide guitar in American and British Blues” for CHRY radio).
The late Clive Blewchamp advised Taranco on both these shows and lent him some very rare recordings. Writer, musicologist and Sun Records archivist, Colin Escot also advised, as did Lorne Hunter who contributed books and recordings.
TOP O THE SENATOR
Before moving to New York, Taranco performed 4 evenings at The Guitar Bar at The Top O the Senator in an amazing series which included Tal Farlow, Jim Hall, Herb Ellis, Lorne Lofsky, Charlie Byrd, Laurindo Almeida, and John Fahey.
BC ISLANDS TOUR
When Ramon first moved to New York, a 2-week solo tour was organized for him to perform in communities on the north west coast of Vancouver Island and other scenic coastal islands like Denman and Hornby islands.
NEW YORK
After moving to New York City in the mid ‘90s, Taranco performed 8 duo/trio concerts in the Guggenheim Museum’s World Beat Jazz Series; Taranco also performed solo and with the IAJ ensemble at the Harborside Jazz Festival (Port Jefferson, Long Island); played at the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Majestic Theater in a 5-piece ensemble for Elizabeth Swados’ opera “Missionaries;” gave an African Heritage Day solo concert and lecture entitled "Celebrating the Diaspora: Strummin' the Americas" at the Bronx Museum of Fine Arts; gave a solo performance on the eve of the New Millenium (December 31st 1999) at the Queen’s Museum of Art “First Night” Festival, and performed in a concert celebrating Martin Luther King Jr's birthday at the Newark Public Library. On June 1st 2011, Ramon and his band, Ramon Taranco + His Havana Blues Revue, gave a full-lenght concert at the Hellenic Cultural Center in Astoria.
NEW ENGLAND SOCIETY CONCERT
More recently, Ramon and violinist, Rob Thomas gave a jazz and classical concert for the New England Society of the City of Brooklyn at The Plymouth Church of The Pilgrims; a New York historical landmark. It was a stop on the underground railroad before and during the Civil War. Henry Ward Beecher was its first preacher.
Guest speakers over the years have included Booker T Washington, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Wendell Phillips, Frederick Douglas, Martin Luther King Jr, and more recently, the late George Plimpton. Walt Whitman was a member of the congregation and Abraham Lincoln visited the church in 1860 when he was running for President.
CLUBS AND RESTAURANTS
Taranco played solo; in duos with jazz violinists Rob Thomas, Sam Bardfeld, and Zack Brock; in duets and in bands with blues harpist Jasper McGruder; and performed with his world/blues band. He also provided musical direction and accompanied cabaret vocalists at restaurants and clubs such as the Mozart Café, La Belle Époque, Caffe Popolo, The Izzy Bar, Rose’s Turn and Finally Fred’s, to name a few.
UNIVERSITIES AND SCHOOLS
For the past 10 years, Taranco has given solo and duet performances: with his sister, flamenco dancer Lydia Taranco and with percussion, violin, and harmonica players through the organization HAI: at institutions and schools in New York City (all boroughs); and has performed solo, in duos and with his band at various colleges and universities (Monroe College, Manhattanville College and Stony Brook University).
ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE
When he first came to New York, Ramon was selected out of several hundred applicants to be the Artist-in-Residence for the Lila Wallace Readers Digest Arts Partners Program (Phase I) in Port Jefferson, New York.
RADIO INTERVIEWS AND PERFORMANCES
While in New York, Ramon has been on three shows on established Manhattan Pacifica station, WBAI 99.5 FM. In April 2011, he was interviewed live on "Radio Libre" with host Ibrahim Gonzalez. Also, Ramon was interviewed on host Chico Alvarez' "New World Gallery." Ramon appeared on 2 occasions on "The Gutbucket Blues Show." On the first show, he did an interview with host Jasper McGruder. On the other show, he gave a second interview and performed live: solo and in a duo with McGruder playing blues harmonica.
Alfonso Rivera, host of "Son Pacifica" (KPFT, Houston Texas) interviewed Ramon extensively during his one-hour spotlight show on Ramon and his music.
In Canada, Ramon gave interviews and live performances on CBC Radio's "Morningside" which featured Ramon's "A Cuban's Canadian Christmas" - an ensemble of world beat jazz. (Hear it on our "Kick Back n Listen" page.) On another episode of Morningside, Ramon played solo and with his band, “Kuba.” On the CBC's “Musical Friends,” Ramon played solo and in a trio with Peter Mathers and Bruce Jones. Ramon also played live on Toronto's CKLN with blues harpist Carlos del Junco.
THE ADVENTURES OF BO SEGOVIA
In the Fall of 2007, Ramon released his 2nd CD of original songs titled “The Adventures of Bo Segovia.” Recorded in New York, it features some of that city’s finest vocalists: Denosh Bennett, Eddie Bobe, Craig Derry, Danny Frazier, Marchelle Jackson, Eunique Mack, Ramon Taranco and Lee Williams. Instrumentalists who performed on the recording include: Eddie Bobe, John Jenkins, Danny Sadownick and Ernesto Simpson (on drums and percussion); William Galison (on harmonica), Craig Handy (on tenor sax and clarinet), Greg Lewis and Danny Mixon (on organ), Samir Shukry (on violin); electric bass players: Essiet Okon Essiet, Buster Hemphill aned Harvie S. and Ramon Taranco on guitars.
All the tracks were produced by Ramon Taranco, mixed by Ethan Donaldson (New York) and mastered by Tom Rogers at Atomix Studios in Los Angeles.
“The Adventures of Bo Segovia” includes 2 songs with Native Indian themes, “Buffalo Skies” and “Ghost Dance.” “Buffalo Skies” is a spontaneous outpouring inspired by Ramon’s fascination with the ghost dance and the odyssey of the Plains Indians. Its Shoshone and Sioux imagery and its New Orleans Funk rhythms make it an interesting musical and lyrical marriage. “Ghost Dance” is a song about materialism versus the spiritual. It has an Afro-Blues feel and a dazzling Middle Eastern violin solo. The title song, “The Adventures of Bo Segovia” tells the true life story of Ramon’s grandfather who fought with Pancho Villa in the Mexican Revolution, escaped into Texas, rode the rails to Chicago, and eventually settled in Los Angeles. “Babes Elusive” is a funk-soul-reggae ballad. “Isolation Blues” has a jazz feel that cuts into a latin-rhumba groove. “Spirit of Muddy Waters,” “Blues Keep Thrillin’ Me” and “St. George Street Overture” are blues-oriented.
As Ramon says in his songs from “The Adventures of Bo Segovia,” the blues keep thrilling him and the spirit of Muddy Waters keeps him searching and searching from his youth to the present and into the future.