Bassist, lecturer, composer, arranger and author, Carlos D’l Puerto was born in Havana, Cuba in 1951. He comes from a long line of outstanding bass players and after following an extensive classical training at Havana’s Amadeo Roldán Conservatory, he began a professional career performing and recording with several renowned orchestras. In 1967 he joined the Cuban Modern Music Orchestra, where he met pianist Chucho Valdés, Paquito D’ Rivera, Arturo Sandoval, among others. 

In 1973, they founded the legendary group, Irakere. In 1979, they earned a Grammy award from the U.S.A. Arts Academy for Best Latin Recording and they were nominated again in 1980. 

 
D’l Puerto is credited with literally redefining Cuba’s musical education by introducing electric bass techniques and Cuban rhythms in the Cuban music school system. He has been awarded two of Cuba’s highest honors: the Order for National Culture, and the Cuban Republic’s Pedagogical Merit Award for his contributions to the development of art and education. In 1995 he received The Certificate of Appreciation by the City of Los Angeles & Certificate of Honor by the City of San Francisco, USA. 

 

He has developed study plans and written four books about bass guitar techniques for the Cuban music school system. His book, ”The True Cuban Bass”, published in 1994 by Sher Music Co. (San Francisco CA.) is used by respected conservatories all around the world. In his long carreer as educator, D´l Puerto has been Chair Professor of bass faculty at Cuba’s Superior Institute of Art (ISA), professor at National School of Arts, (ENA) as well as in The National School for Art Instructors and School for Professional Mucisians “Ignacio Cervantes” in Havana. As one of Cubans National Advisor and Methodologist he has written for the bass guitar studies and Popular Music Workshop. Carlos was faculty member at the Bass Collective in New York City. Mr. D’l Puerto was interviewed in a set of 6 CD’s, for the Smithsonian Museum’s (Washington), Jazz Oral History Program.

 

D´l Puerto has been leading lectures, master clases and clinics at many of the most prestigious universities and conservatories around the world, such as Berklee School of Music (Boston), Stanford University, California Institute of the Arts and Whitter College (CA) The Bass Collective NY, Duke Ellington School of the Arts (Washington) Banff Center of Art (Canada) Musician Institute (London) Pop & Jazz Conservatory (Finland) and other similar in Germany, Spain, Mexico, Japan, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Aruba and South Africa. 

 

Throughout his career, he has taken part in all the world’s most famous music festivals, such as, NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL (U.S. and Japan), Montreux (Switzerland), North Sea Festival (Netherlands), LE JUAN PINS NICE (France), and APRIL JAZZ and PORI JAZZ FESTIVAL (Finland), San Sebastian (Spain), CHICAGO JAZZ FESTIVAL (U.S. ) among others, sharing the stage with  celebrities as Dizzy Gillespie, Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Brecker Brothers, etc. He has performed and recorded with many famous latin artists such as Ivan Lins, Cesaria Evora, Omara Portuondo, Ibrahim Ferrer, Chucho Valdés , Paquito D´Rivera, Arturo Sandoval, Cubanismo, Orlando Valle Maraca, Miguel Angá, Tata Guines, Changuito, Rebeca Mauleon, among others.

 

At Manhattan Centre, New York, D’l Puerto performed at the biggest bass event of the year, Bass Day 2000 along with some of the world-renowned bass players as Percy Hearth, Marcus Miller, Gary Willis, Anthony Jackson, Billy Sheehan, Will Lee, Oteil Burbridge, John Patitucci and Joe Osborn.

In January 2001 he introduced at the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Winter Show, the Yamaha Silent bass, performing along with Al Jarreau, Brenda Russell, David Benoit, Tony Bennett & Tower of Power.

 

Since 2003 D’l Puerto resides in Finland, where he has developed a great job as a professor of the TSMO and LSMO music institutes as well as musical director and arranger of many of the most famous Finnish artists.

Carlos is currently bassist of the project "Classics Meets Cuba" who plays the best known works of classical composers in different Cuban rhythms, accompanied by major European symphonic orchestras.

"POWERFUL SOUND + PUNCH + CLARITY + DEFINITION + LIGHTWEIGHT = MARKBASS. Simply the best for a bass player !!!"
Carlos D’l Puerto