Center Stage Artist - Perico Hernandez
Jose Caridad Hernandez , better known as “Perico”, is a sonero/percussionist/composer/songwriter who creates “organic cuban music.” Born in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, Perico is the second to the youngest of twelve siblings and the only one who became a musician. Perico began his musical training as a young boy in Havana. He watched the street rumberos creating amazing rhythms on the “tumbadoras” (congas), and after watching Patato Valdez play congas on a TV show, Perico decided that’s what he wanted to do. Perico gradually learned from the “rumberos” and at age 14 became the conguero for a neighborhood group, Conjunto Monte Carlo. He was eventually recruited to play with the popular Conjunto Casino. Regarding his nickname Perico, he tells the story that as a kid he walked around the neighborhood with an elderly man called “Perico.” Pretty soon the neighbors started saying “Here come Perico y Periquito.” Perico has said “Maybe the name was meant to be because I’m now a sonero and...
