Musica photo of Carlos Federico

Carlos Federico Pioneer of Latin Music
As a pianist he was a marvelous instrumentalist with style heavily influenced by Cuban pianists like Peruchin and Lili Martinez. He was a student of Joseph Schillinger and his musial theories. From Panama Carlos Federico-Smart (12/29/30) came to the Bay Area to study medicine at UC Berkeley but would abandon those goals for musical ones. Meeting Armando Peraza, who he considered his first teacher inspired him. It was Peraza who connected him with jazz pianist George Shearing who recorded his tunes "Mambo Caribe" and "Rondo" on his "Latin Lace" album. His groups with Richard Lewis at the California Hotel Mambo sessions are legendary. Later he played with Ritmo 74, Malo, and others. But it was the Salsa workshops at community centers like Finn Hall (Berkeley), Mission Cultural Center (SF), Eastbay Center for the Performing Arts (Richmond) and Merritt College (Oakland) that launched Carlos as an educator. He passed on Oct 1, 1996 but left a deep impression on his students. (by Jesse "Chuy" Verela from Desde la Bahia 2006 Commemorative Calendar)

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