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 Born
in New York City and son of Jose "Pin" Madera, who was the
first arranger for the Machito Orchestra, Jose spent 31 years with
the Tito
Puente Orchestra. While there, he served as one of the
percussionists and later went on to become one of the musical arrangers
and the musical director of the orchestra.
Jose has written many arrangements for countless commercial Latin
artists and has recorded or worked with many of them as well. Some
of them include Larry Harlow, Johnny Pacheco, Chico O’Farrell,
The Lincoln Center Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra, Celia Cruz, Tito Rodriguez,
Fania All-Stars, Willie Colon, Joe Farrell, Machito, Graciela, Mario
Bauza, Willie Rosario, Earl Klugh and Eddie Palmieri just
to name a few. Jose has also worked and recorded with many Pop,
R&B and Jazz artists. Some of them include Diana Ross, James Brown,
Dizzy Gillespie, Paquito D'Rivera, George Benson and Lionel Hampton
among others. Madera has performed on over 100 recordings. He has worked
on several television show soundtracks, the most recent being "The
Simpson’s" and several motion picture soundtracks,
the most recent being "The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love," where
he was the musical arranger and conductor for the Tito
Puente segment
of the film.
Jose also taught the art of playing Latin percussion instruments at
Harbor
Conservatory for the Performing Arts for 28 years. He is currently
a LP artist and has done and continues to do musical
clinics around the country at various schools. He is also the musical
director of the Latin Giants Orchestra, a band dedicated to performing
new creative Latin and Latin Jazz concepts, as well as some of the
music of Machito, Tito Rodriguez and Tito
Puente and that is comprised
of former members of the Tito Puente Orchestra. Madera has personally
re-arranged much of the music that those bands performed during the
heyday of the Mambo at the Palladium Ballroom in New York City, considered
by many critics to be the "greatest and most innovative era" in
the history of Latin music.
"Compared to the instruments used years ago, the sounds I get
from LP instruments are very authentic. As an arranger, it's gratifying
to know that anything I write will be accompanied by LP instruments,
which will only enhance the quality of the performance." says
Madera. In 2008, Madera entrusted LP's
Research and Development Department with developing the LP
Legends Jose Madera Signature Series Congas.
The drums have sound and visual features that Jose is proud
to have his name on.
Equipment list: LP
Legends Jose Madera Signature Series Congas, LP
bongos, guiros,
and cowbells
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