Martin Valihora

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Martin Valihora (1976) is a Slovak drummer and percussionist. He was born in a musician's family; his father Dušan Valihora was a professional bass guitar player and his mother Jana Beláková was a singer.

Valihora studied piano between 1986-1987, but then switched to drums, having received private lessons from a Slovak drummer Oldo Petráš. He then studied drums and percussions at the Conservatorium in Bratislava (Slovakia) between 1990-1992. Valihora played in numerous Slovak pop, rock or jazz bands, like IMT Smile, Midi (frontman Robo Grigorov), Prúdy, Fermáta, Kvatret Gaba Jonáša, Barflies, Deepnspace and many others.

Around this time he struggled with his heroin addiction and successfully overcame it. This period is mentioned in a song by another Slovak pop singer and composer Richard Müller, who depicted him as a person who cannot repay his debts, is unreliable and hurting people that love him (song 'Martin V.' appears on Müller's record "L.S.D.").

However, today Valihora is a clean man, claiming not to be using any sort of drugs, alcohol and not even drinking coffee or tea.

Having been awarded a prestigious scholarship on the Berklee College of Music in Boston, he established himself as an integral part of the New York's jazz scene.

Currently he is working with Japanese jazz pianist Hiromi Uehara. Valihora is a busy musician often travelling between Slovakia and U.S. and known for his various musical duties apart from Hiromi Uehara, most known for his playing with band Waking Vision.

Martin Valihora is being praised for his melodical playing and his extraordinary feeling for the flow of the band.

He has a daughter Victoria with his partner Alexandra Orviská.