About me:

Jorge "Georgie" Vázquez

was born in "The Bronx, Puerto Rico," where he has lived all his life. Captured at an early age by music, he has played everything from heavy metal to reggae, bomba, plena, rumba, jíbaro music, salsa and r&b. For him, music has been a vehicle to get in touch with himself and his Puerto Rican roots. A well-rounded percussionist, Vázquez plays the congas, drum-set, timbales, barriles, bongó, and a wide variety of other Afro-Caribbean drums. Vázquez is a well-known percussionist within the New York City Puerto Rican and Caribbean music circles.

He has been a member of Los Amigos de la Plena, was the lead percussionist for the hip hop fusion collective Welfare Poets, and is a founding member of the urban jíbaro group Yerbabuena. He is a member of Ya Está, Vaya, Alma Moyó and the children's musical group Hot Peas 'N Butter. He has performed with a variety of musical groups in the city, including Viento de Agua Unplugged, Taíno, Sonido Isleño and Los Instantáneos de la Plena (of El Rincón Criollo). He has also performed with esteemed musicians such as Pepe Castillo, Choco Orta and Latin Grammy-nominated jazz trombonist William Cepeda, and alongside such legends as Tito Puente, king of the cuatro Yomo Toro and folk singer-songwriter Antonio Cabán Vale "El Topo". He has recorded with Arturo O'Farrill and Mike Stern, as well as with Yomo Toro. Along with Hot Peas 'N Butter, he is featured in the video "Different Spokes for Different Folks," a song which was written for the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's national campaign, "Trike-A-Thon."

He has played at numerous venues including Lincoln Center, Symphony Space, B.B. King, SOBs, Central Park's Summer Stage, The Waldorf Astoria, Sea World, Weeksville Heritage Center, El Museo del Barrio, the Puerto Rican Day Parade, various radio and TV shows including Fox 5 News' "Good Day New York," WBAI's radio show "Ritmo con Aché" and Channel 41's "Al Despertar", as well as prominent festivals such as The Tribeca Film Festival, 116 Street Festival and the biennial Bomplenazo. He was the first young person to receive a Masters' honor by the folkloric institution Los Pleneros de la 21 for his dedication to the advancement of Puerto Rican musical traditions.

CD Covers Of Some Recordings I'm On

YERBABUENA @ Orchard Beach Summer 2006

In El Viejo San Juan "Puerto Rico" 2003

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Video By: Dennis Flores