Walfredo Reyes, Jr.

Walfredo Reyes, Jr.
Reyes playing a conga with Chicago in 2013
Background information
Native name	Walfredo de los Reyes Palau IV
Born	(1955-12-18)December 18, 1955 Havana, Cuba
Genres	Jazz, Latin, World music, World fusion, Afro-Cuban, and Rock
Occupations	session and full-time musician; music educator and clinician
Years active	1974 (1974)—present
Associated acts	Chicago, Santana
Website	Personal site YouTube channel Band site
Notable instruments
Auxiliary percussion, Drum set

Walfredo "Wally" Reyes, Jr. (born Walfredo de los Reyes Palau IV on December 18, 1955 in Havana, Cuba) is a Cuban American expert in drum set and auxiliary percussion, a music educator, and a clinician. He has performed with many jazz, Latin, World music, World fusion, Afro-Cuban, and rock bands as a touring, session recording, and full-time player. Reyes is known for his fusion of many of the world's percussion techniques, including the ability to play a drum set with his hands in addition to the traditional use of drumsticks, whereby it is said that he can "sound like a drummer and a percussionist at the same time".^[1][2] He is well known for having been a long-term member of Santana, and for being the newest member of Chicago.^[3][4][5]

Biography

The native name of Walfredo de los Reyes Palau IV is a traditional Cuban combination of his paternal and maternal surnames. However, in his professional career, his name has taken on the Americanized truncation of Walfredo Reyes, Jr. He is a third generation musician in a prolific professional musical lineage on both sides of his family, including several globally notable percussion experts.

His father is percussion expert, Walfredo Reyes, Sr.; one brother is World music percussion expert Daniel de los Reyes; another brother is actor Kamar de los Reyes; and, his grandfather is trumpeter and Cuban orchestral organizer, Walfredo de los Reyes II.^[6][7] Coincidentally, his father had been professionally credited by the same name, Walfredo Reyes, Jr., for his own percussion work throughout the 1940s to 1960s, in order to differentiate himself from his own father.^{[citation needed]}

To characterize his intense familial roots in the musical arts, Reyes jokes, "I wanted to be a brain surgeon, but they wouldn't let me."^[7]

Reyes has had a lifelong interest in the music of Chicago Transit Authority, now known as Chicago. He says that their debut album, Chicago Transit Authority, was the first album that he had ever purchased as a youth with his own money.^[7]

Career

Leading up to his present role with Chicago, Reyes had had an obvious connection with the band as a life-long fan of Chicago, as a long-time friend of and collaborator with Chicago's drummer Tris Imboden,^[8]:p.47 and as brother of Chicago's former auxiliary percussionist Daniel de los Reyes.^[6][7]

Reyes has globally toured or recorded with many major groups, including the following:^[3]

Years Artist 1983—1984 Tania Maria 1985—1988 David Lindley’s El Rayo X 1988 Jackson Browne 1988 Jimmy Barnes 1989—1993 Santana 1992 Boz Scaggs 1993 Gloria Estefan 1994 Traffic 1995 Robbie Robertson 1997—2004 Steve Winwood 1998—1999 Joe Sample 2000 Johnny Hallyday 2005 Khaled 2007—2011 Lindsey Buckingham 2008 Mickey Hart 2010—2012 El Chicano[9] 2012—present Chicago[4][5]

Discography

The select Walfredo Reyes, Jr. discography:

Videography

Equipment

Reyes uses and endorses the following equipment:

• Mapex Drums^[1][30]
• Sabian Cymbals^[2][31][32]
• Latin Percussion^[33]
• Remo Drumheads^[34]
• Regal Tip: Walfredo "El Rockero" Reyes, Jr. signature series drumsticks. Reyes designed his own signature series of drum sticks, earning him Regal Tip's unique nickname of "El Rockero" (literally, "The Rocker" in English.)^[35]
• Audix microphones^[36]
• Protection Racket drum cases^[37]

See also

Notes

References

External links

• Official website
• Official YouTube channel
• Official Chicago website