Michel Camilo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michel Camilo
Michel Camilo in concert (2015)
Background information
Born	(1954-04-04) April 4, 1954 (age 71) Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Genres	Jazz, Latin, classical
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Piano
Years active	1970s–present

Michel Camilo (born April 4, 1954) is a talented pianist and composer from the Dominican Republic. He is famous for playing jazz, Latin, and classical piano.

Michel Camilo's Early Life and Musical Journey

Michel Camilo grew up in a family that loved music. When he was very young, his parents gave him an accordion. He enjoyed it, but he was even more interested in his grandparents' piano. At age 9, he asked for his own piano. First, his parents sent him to the Elementary Music School. A year later, they bought him a piano.

Learning Classical Music

At the National Conservatory, Michel learned to play piano in the classical style. By the time he was 16, he was already performing with the National Symphony Orchestra of the Dominican Republic. He studied classical music for 13 years.

Discovering Jazz Music

Michel first heard jazz when he was about 14 years old. He heard the famous pianist Art Tatum playing "Tea for Two" on the radio. Michel was immediately hooked! He wanted to learn that style of music. He soon found out it was called jazz.

He was greatly influenced by jazz artists like Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, and Chick Corea. He also enjoyed the ragtime music of Scott Joplin.

Moving to New York and Becoming a Star

In 1979, Michel Camilo moved to New York City to study music. He attended Mannes College and The Juilliard School. His big break came in 1983 at the Montreal Jazz Festival. The famous bandleader Tito Puente needed a pianist. Without even hearing Michel play, Puente asked him to join.

A Cuban musician named Paquito D'Rivera was in the audience. He was so impressed that he invited Michel to join his band. For four years, Michel toured the world with D'Rivera. They also recorded two albums together.

Rising to Fame

Michel Camilo started becoming a star on his own around 1985. That year, he performed with his own trio at Carnegie Hall. He also released his first album, Why Not?.

In 1988, he released his album Michel Camilo with Sony. This album became a bestseller and was the top jazz album for ten weeks! Many other successful albums followed. Michel also won important awards, including a Grammy Award and an Emmy Award. In 2000, his album Spain with flamenco guitarist Tomatito won Best Latin Jazz Album at the first Latin Grammy Awards.

Composing for Films

Besides being a great performer, Michel Camilo is also a talented composer. He has written music for several Spanish films. These include Los peores años de nuestra vida and the award-winning Amo tu cama rica.

Michel travels a lot, performing and giving talks in Europe and the US. He has received special honors in his home country. He was named a Knight of the Heraldic Order of Christopher Columbus. He also received the Silver Cross of the Order of Duarte, Sanchez & Mella.

Working with Other Musicians

For many years, Michel Camilo's main trio included his friends Anthony Jackson on bass guitar and Cliff Almond on drums. Later, Charles Flores played bass in the trio, including on their Grammy-winning album Live at the Blue Note. More recently, drummer Dafnis Prieto has joined his trio. This new trio released the album Spirit of the Moment in April 2007.

Michel has played with many other famous musicians over the years. Some of these include Tito Puente, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, George Benson, and Wynton Marsalis. He is also an ambassador for Music Traveler GmbH, a company that helps musicians find practice spaces. Other ambassadors include Billy Joel and Hans Zimmer.

Michel Camilo's Music Albums

Michel Camilo has released many albums as a leader or co-leader. Here are some of them:

See also

In Spanish: Michel Camilo para niños