Ramón Vázquez Martirena
(Bassist, composer, arranger, educator and producer)

Born in the Cuban Province of Matanzas. At a very early age, Ramón moved to Puerto Rico with his family.
He began music while still in middle school participating in a student band. His first musical steps were with the triangle and the clave. Upon learning from his music teacher that the band needed a bassist, Ramón accepted the challenge and began his life-long dedication to the study of this instrument.

Ramón graduated from the famed Escuela Libre de Música in 1989 with high honors. He studied bass privately and participated in several workshops and seminars including: The Manhattan School of Music Summer Workshop, the Bass Summit at the National Guitar Summer Workshop, and for three years (1995-97) the Berklee College in Puerto Rico, where he was awarded for Outstanding Musicianship with a scholarship to study at Berklee College of Music, in Boston, Massachusetts. Ramón continued his musical studies at the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music where he graduated in 1998 with a Bachelors of Music in Classical Double Bass and Musical Education.

During his musical career as an educator, he worked in different projects and Institutions. He is Professor and Founder Member of the New Jazz and Caribbean Music Department of the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music. He taught at the Popular Music Department of the Interamerican University of PR. Ramón also actively helped developing and establishing the International Association for Jazz Education, Chapter of PR, and was elected as an executive member. Vázquez has been extremely involved as a professor and lecturer in various institution in and out of Puerto Rico.

His talent and charisma have allowed him to work with a great number of pop, jazz and classical artists, in and out of Puerto Rico. In the Classic Music he was invited as a soloist with the National Symphonic Orchestra of Costa Rica, San Juan Pop Orchestra and Symphonic Orchestra of Puerto Rico while becoming one of the most sought bassist in the local music industry.

He has shared the stage, played and/or recorded with some of the best names in Jazz and Latin Jazz including: Chick Corea, Tito Puente, Eddie Gomez, Justo Almario, Hilton Ruiz, Paquito D`Rivera, Giovanni Hidalgo, Dave Samuels, Emil Richards, Horacio El Negro Hernandez, David Sanchez, Nestor Torres, Dave Valenti¬n, Airto Moreira, Jane Bunnet and Miguel Zenón, among others.

Ramón completed his first musical album titled “On The Move”, wich bacame available on October 15 2003. In this album, Ramon Integrated several music influences and developing a convincing personal style, which led to exelent critics at the local press. In a review by Jaime Tores Torres the reviewer states: “The young cuban bassist surprised with one of the best well balanced albums of 2003, and one of the finests recordings in USA and Europe. ”On the Move” has also had a raving review from the american musical magazine Jazz Improv, and was nominated Winner Music 2004 in Puerto Rico, at the “Premios Tu Música”. Currently, Ramón is working in his second production.




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