ALEX ACUÑA

Born Alejandro Neciosup Acuña in Pativilca, Peru, Alex “was always fascinated with rhythms.” Music “was and is a joyful art that has the power to transform my heart.” As a child, Alex revered his older brother German, who played the saxophone. “For [German,] music was very easy to play and to do…German became my main influence.”

Alex recalls that he didn’t choose percussion—percussion chose him. Part of a very musical family, Alex began playing drums and percussion instruments in a very self-taught fashion. When he was ten, Alex was well known from playing in local bands. At twelve, Alex could read music and played both the piano and the trumpet. He moved to Lima as a teenager, where he played “all kinds of music and with all kinds of bands.” Working with other artists, Alex performed live and as a studio drummer for movies and television.

In 1962, as soon as Latin band-leading legend Perez Prado saw Alex play, he invited Alex to join him on a United States tour. The tour wound its through Las Vegas, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, and all over the East Coast. Five years later, Alex moved to Puerto Rico and worked there as a studio musician and live performer. He concurrently studied classical and Latin percussion at the conservatory in San Juan, Puerto Rico for three years. While studying, Alex played with the Symphony Orchestra under renowned cellist Pablo Casals.

Alex returned to the United States in 1974. He performed with both Elvis Presley and Diana Ross while living in Las Vegas, Nevada. The following year, Alex joined groundbreaking jazz group Weather Report with bass legend Jaco Pastorius, Joe Zawinul, Chester Thompson, and Wayne Shorter. Alex was overwhelmed when they asked him to join the band because it was his “favorite band of all times.” Alex originally played percussion, but later replaced Chester Thompson on drums. Touring and recording with Weather Report was a fantastic experience, but it also strained Alex’s family life. Eventually, he made the difficult decision to leave the band.

Alex moved on to Los Angeles, where he easily earned a sterling reputation as a drummer and percussionist on stage and in the studio--whether it was for television, film, or albums. His list of accompaniments is lengthy and includes, to name a few: U2, Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Ella Fitzgerald, Whitney Houston, Sergio Mendes, Yellow Jackets, Chic Corea, Julio Iglesias, Koinonia, Juan Gabriel, Luis Miguel, Placido Domingo, Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul, Al Jarreau, Roberta Flack, Antonio Carlos Jobim, The Gipsy Kings, Paco de Lucia, Carlos Santana, Herbie Hancock, Christina Aguilera, and Tito Puente.

His exceptional work earned him the honor of “Best Latin/Brazilian Percussionist” from Modern Drummer’s annual reader’s poll five times. In the 1980s, Alex joined Koinonia, a matchless Christian jazz band. Koinonia toured and recorded for several years. Alex says that playing music gives him “a feeling that is impossible to describe with words… in addition to all the rhythms that bring the fulfillment and enjoyment to my soul.”

Alex’s expertise is not limited to personal performances—he is also a talented teacher. Alex has offered lessons at the University of California, Los Angeles and the Berklee School of Music.

Currently, Alex performs with two groups—Alex Acuña & the Unknowns and Tolu. The Unknowns perform “straight modern Latin jazz.” Justo Almaraio, Luis Conte, Harry Kim, and Alex form Tolu, a band that is twenty years old and was created for no other reason besides that the members love to jam together. Tolu plays intermittently due to scheduling conflicts. They have been known not to reconvene for more than four years at a time.

Alex’s career is characterized by innovation, vigor, and devotion, yet he remains humble about his success. Alex refers to himself as “blessed, anointed, and appointed to be a modern Latin jazz musician.”