Known for his work in the Latin music field, Michael Spiro is an internationally recognized percussionist, educator and recording artist.
Michael is a ten-time Grammy nominee, and has produced seminal recordings in the Latin music genre such as “Canto América”, “BataKetu”, “BataMbira”, “Mark Levine and the Latin Tinge”, and “Grupo Ilu-Aña”. His performing and recording credits cover an array of internationally known artists: from such pop artists as David Byrne, Carlos Santana, and Charlie Watts, to Latin music icons Eddie Palmieri, Israel Lopez (Cachao), and Richard Egues, to such jazz luminaries as Ella Fitzgerald, Bobby Hutcherson, and McCoy Tyner.
Spirology’s repertoire is rather “experimental” in that it fuses the music of the Cuban bata drums with the music of the Cuban charanga genre– I suppose you could say we play the “Batanzon”–Lukumi rhythms and songs mixed with strings, flute and piano—and traditional danzones played over the bata drums instead of the normal Latin percussion battery. The blending of these styles creates a unique musical adventure, and we encourage both dancers and listeners alike to check out this original musical format.
The band features some of the best charangueros in the Bay Area (John Calloway, Tregar Otton, Miguel Martinez, Steve Senft-Herrera, Remi Spiro, Osvaldo Carvajal, Pablo Caro, and Ed Valencia) along with some very special guests. You can, of course, dance all night to our music, or you can listen and appreciate the textures and timbres of this new and creative ensemble.
Michael remains an extremely active recording artist—in 2017 he co-produced “Canto America” with his long time working partner Wayne Wallace. It received widespread critical acclaim and was nominated for a 2017 Grammy in the Latin-Jazz category. Most recently, Michael collaborated with Jose Luis Gomez to release a recording of contemporary Cuban rumba: “Mabagwe – a Tribute to the Elders“. Produced by his long time musical colleague Jesús Diaz, it is dedicated to his mentors Regino Jimenez and Esteban Vega Bacallao (“Cha-Chá”), and resulted in a nomination for a Cubadisco Premio in 2019. He is the first foreigner to receive such an honor!
As a performer, Michael co-leads one of the only remaining charanga groups in the United States, “Orquesta La Moderna Tradición“, and holds the conga drum chair in the internationally acclaimed (and 2011, 2014, and 2015 Grammy nominated) “Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet” which continues to record and perform throughout the United States.
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