Rene Gonzalez has been a multi-percussionist, focusing on Afro-Cuban-Puerto Rican music styles since the age of 9. The son of Jose Gonzalez, a respected guitarrist/Puerto Rican Cuatro player, bandmember and musical director of such groups and individuals as Ruben Blades, Giovanni Hidalgo, Roy Brown, Andres Jimenez, and Danny Rivera, Rene has been intimately involved with the Latin music scene from an early age.

Beginning studies in drums with his father at the age of 6, Rene studied
Rock and Funk. He began an early apprenticeship with noted Puerto Rican
percussionist Freddie Moreno in Timbales, Bongos, Congas, and Latin
percussion until the age of 24. Enrolling at the University of
Massachusetts' Music Department, Rene studied straight-ahead jazz, big band jazz, and rudimental studies with acclaimed concert percussionist Peter Tanner and Berklee Drumset teacher, John Ramsay.

Rene has performed in various settings, playing virtually most North
American and Caribbean styles of music. Recently, Rene has performed
steadily with two groups, his father's quartet and larger Afro-Cuban combos
(http://members.tripod.com/~Lilor/) and a South-American/Caribbean fusion
group, MarKamusic (http://www.markamusic.net). Rene is also a freelance
drummer/percussionist, available in Puerto Rico.

PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS:
Tito Puente, Giovanni Hidalgo, Jose Gonzalez, Roy Brown, Fred Tillis, Jeff Holmes, John Ramsay

MUSICAL INFLUENCES:
Billy Cobham, Buddy Rich, Jimmy Branly, Raul Pineda, Giovanni Hidalgo, Anthony Carillo, Endel Dueno, Ralph Irizarry, Angel" Cachete" Maldonado.

updated at june 2004