Los Angeles born percussionist Kahlil Cummings joins Jhair Sala in this episode of We Are Rhythm. Cummings was raised with several musical influences in his family, stirring a lifelong passion for the history and cultural impact of music. He t

Percussionist Neal Daniels

Jan 25th, 2021 51m 2s

Queens-born percussionist Neal Daniels is Joey’s guest in this week’s We Are Rhythm. Daniels talks about moving to LA, where he has lived for 11 years, attending the LA College of Music, the musicians he’s worked with, and the gear he uses. Da

051 - Drummer & Percussionist, Scott Pellegrom

Jan 11th, 2021 1h 4m

Percussionist and clinician Scott Pellegrom had his first set of drumsticks in hand before he could even walk. Growing up on a farm in Michigan, Pellegrom spent much of his childhood practicing the drums. In this conversation with We Are Rhyth

050 - Percussionist João Caetano

Dec 28th, 2020 1h 15m

João Caetano was born and raised in Macao, a Portuguese colony in China, in a musical household. In this episode of We Are Rhythm, Caetano talks to host Jhair Sala about the cultural influences of his upbringing, the value of musical and artis

049 - Percussionist Fausto Cuevas III

Dec 14th, 2020 1h 45m

Percussionist Fausto Cuevas III joins host Jhair Sala in this episode of We Are Rhythm. Cuevas talks about leaving his hometown in Texas to attend Berklee in Boston, how to keep positive during the uncertainness of the pandemic, and how he got

048 - Drummer Tony Escapa

Nov 30th, 2020 1h 29m

Drums have always came naturally to Tony Escapa, who was born and raised in a musical family in Puerto Rico. In this interview with We Are Rhythm host Jhair Sala, Escapa talks about taking gigs in Orlando from a young age, how he developed a p

047 - Percussionists Richie and Roland Garcia

Nov 16th, 2020 38m 30s

This episode of We Are Rhythm features father and son percussionists, Richie and Roland Garcia. Richie, who was born in New York City and moved to Puerto Rico as a child, talks about how he developed new methods of playing, bringing that infor

046 - Percussionist Iúri Oliveira

Nov 2nd, 2020 1h 13m

Iúri Oliveira never intended to become a percussionist. Though he was drawn to the drums from a young age, Oliveira describes his entry into the profession as an “accident.” In this interview with Jhair Sala, the Portugal-born percussionist ta

045 - Drummer and Producer Victor Indrizzo

Oct 19th, 2020 57m 28s

In this episode of We Are Rhythm, Joey sits down with drummer and producer Victor Indrizzo. Indrizzo, who moved from New York to Los Angeles at the age of 10, got his love of music from his mother. He talks to Joey about what drew him to the d

044 - Percussionist Adam Manning

Oct 5th, 2020 58m 53s

Adam Manning was born in Newcastle, Australia, a town he says is “known for music-making,” so it’s no surprise he found an early love for drums and congas. Manning talks to We Are Rhythm host Jhair Sala about broadening his musical opportuniti

043 - Percussionist Brian Kilgore

Sep 21st, 2020 55m 18s

One of the earliest lessons Brian Kilgore learned as a percussionist was the value of a diverse skillset - and his resume shows it. In this episode of We Are Rhythm, Kilgore sits down with Joey to talk about his entry into drumming, the bands

042 - Drummer and Percussionist Demian Arriaga

Sep 7th, 2020 1h 30m

Demian Arriaga grew up in a family “obsessed” with music. In this episode of We Are Rhythm, the Venezuela-born percussionist talks about how he got into drums, making the move from Venezuela to Massachusetts, refusing to give up after rejectio

041 - Percussionist and Composer Marcelo Woloski

Aug 24th, 2020 1h 14m

Argentinian percussionist and composer Marcelo Woloski grew up in a family of musical hobbyists. Despite caution from others, he decided to be the first in his family to pursue music professionally. Woloski studied at a satellite school for Be

040 - Percussionist, Efrain Toro

Aug 10th, 2020 1h 16m

Self-described as “not a musician,” percussionist Efrain Toro has a unique mind for music. Born in Puerto Rico to a family of engineers, Toro talks to LP We Are Rhythm host Jhair Sala about his scientific mind and the perspective that gives hi

039 - Percussionist Ray Yslas

Jul 27th, 2020 1h 21m

The youngest of seven kids, Ray Yslas grew up with music always playing in the house. In this episode, he talks about the progression of his career starting from taking drum lessons as a teenager to scoring his dream gig as percussionist for r

038 - Percussionist Henry Cole

Jul 13th, 2020 1h 30m

Born in Puerto Rico, percussionist Henry Cole was the only musician in his high school, but he never had a “plan B.” He later moved to Boston and started making the connections that led to touring and gigs with artists who expanded his musical

037 - Grammy Award Winning Percussionist, Producer, and Composer Tony Succar

Jun 29th, 2020 1h 16m

Even though Tony Succar’s love for music was sparked at a young age due to his musical parents, he didn’t decide to pursue it professionally until college. Born in Peru, Succar’s family migrated to Miami when he was young, where he decided to

036 - Percussionist Paulo Stagnaro

Jun 15th, 2020 1h 32m

Two-time Grammy-Award winning percussionist Paulo Stagnaro grew up around Boston in a home that was always full of music. In this episode of We Are Rhythm, Stagnaro talks about how the industry has changed from his parent's generation to his o

035 - Antonio Sanchez: Drummer and Composer

Jun 1st, 2020 45m 32s

Born in Mexico City, Antonio Sanchez grew up surrounded by theater and film, but it was drums that “floored him” at the young age of 5. In this interview, Sanchez talks about how his education brought him to the United States and Berkley. Ther

034 - Famed Percussionist and Recording Artist, Pete Lockett

May 18th, 2020 57m 5s

Pete Lockett got a late start in music, not picking up the drums until age 19, but that hasn’t stopped him from becoming one of percussion’s greats. From his upbringing in Portsmouth, England to his many tours in India, Lockett has taken has c

033 - Drummer and Producer Daru Jones

May 4th, 2020 1h 19m

From his early beginnings in church to becoming the go-to guy for artists across the industry, Daru Jones recounts his musical career in this episode of We Are Rhythm. Jones talks about being self-taught, his journey to discover his own identi

032 - Percussionist and Composer Darryl Munyungo Jackson

Apr 20th, 2020 1h 30m

A Los Angeles native, Darryl Munyungo Jackson was surrounded by music from a young age. Influenced by his musically diverse family, in high school he began to discover a love for swing and Latin jazz. Saving up money from his newspaper deliver

031 - Percussionist and Cajon Expert Diego Alvarez

Apr 6th, 2020 36m 23s

Born into a singing family in Venezuela, over the years percussionist Diego Alvarez has developed a mastery of the cajon. In this episode of We Are Rhythm, he talks about getting the gift of music from his mother, deciding to move to Spain at

030 - Percussionist Kevin Ricard

Mar 23rd, 2020 1h 14m

A fan of music from a very young age, percussionist Kevin Ricard has taken his versatile style everywhere from touring to TV. Beginning with his early life in Santa Monica, CA., Kevin talks about how he found his passion for percussion, the mu