* En anglais uniquement
Cuban-born jazz drummer
Francisco Mela is an in-demand performer and session musician who combines his knowledge of Cuban musical traditions with jazz and contemporary styles. Born in Bayamo, Cuba in 1968,
Mela grew up studying the piano and drums and eventually enrolled at the Berklee College of Music in Boston in 2000.
Mela's deep expertise in Cuban music and advanced jazz technique soon caught the attention of the school and he quickly moved from student to teacher. In 2001,
Mela toured as a member of
Jane Bunnett's Spirit of Havana ensemble and later joined saxophonist
Joe Lovano's group along with bassist
Esperanza Spalding.
Mela has also found work with such legendary artists as pianists
Kenny Barron and
McCoy Tyner. In 2006,
Mela released his debut solo album,
Melao, which featured
Lovano along with guitarist
Lionel Loueke, saxophonists
Anat Cohen and
George Garzone, and others. He returned in 2008 with the live album Cirio: Live at the Blue Note, which found the drummer playing alongside such similarly adventurous artists as saxophonist
Mark Turner and pianist
Jason Moran. In 2011, inspired by such longtime influences as
Miles Davis' band with keyboardists
Keith Jarrett and
Chick Corea, the innovative fusion group
Weather Report, and
Chucho Valdés with
Irakere,
Mela and his ensemble
Cuban Safari released the studio effort Tree of Life. ~ Matt Collar