As a jazz musician has recorded and worked with artists like Jane Monheit, Arturo Sandoval, Paquito de Rivera, Dave Grusin, Ron Carter, Ira Sullivan, Fathead Newman, Ivan Lins, Chick Corea, Fahir Atakoglu, Bob Minzer, Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez, John Pattitucci, Gary Campbell, Mike Orta, Bobby Martinez, Dave Weckel Alfredo Paixao, Otmaro Ruiz, "Tomatito" "Luis Salinas", Pepe Rivero, Ignacio Berroa, Wendy Pedersen, Lenny Andrade, United Nation Orchestra, and many others.Festival Parade, Jacksonville Jazz Festival, Stockholm Jazz Festival, Rome Jazz Festival Saratoga Jazz Festival, Grenoble Jazz Festival, Jazz Festival of Geneva, Wighan Jazz Festival, Birmingham Jazz Festival, Marbella Jazz Festival, San Javier Jazz Festival, Ronnie Scotts London, Le Pettit Journal Paris. Blue Note New York, Quassimodo, Berlin, Palabra de Guitarra in Palma De Mallorca, Palabra de Guitarra at the MIDEM in Miami.
Bio I Resume
Rene L. Toledo was born in Havana (Cuba), July 3, 1957. He began his Guitar studies at the age of ten years old under the tutelage of Professor Leopoldina Nunez. At the age of twelve entered the Alejandro Garcia Caturla Conservatory where he studied Classical Guitar with Professor Clara Nicola, Sofeo, Music Theory and Music Appreciation . At the age of fifteen he enters the Provincial Amadeo Roldan Conservatory where he studied Classical Guitar with Professor Marta Cuervos. Solfeo, Harmony, Counterpoint, Morphology , Music History, Music Theory, Pedagogy and Orchestration. In 1979 he graduated and obtained his Masters in Classical Guitar and Guitar Teacher; parallel to his studies of music he also graduates of Bachelor of Science and Letters. He self-taught jazz guitar and at the age of sixteen is integrated into the group of Felipe Dulzaides the only Jazz Sextet "authorized" in Cuba at that time. At the age of eighteen years old he founded the group Afro Cuba with Jose Carlos Acosta, Nicholas Reynoso and Tony Valdes, innovative band whose music blended with the Afro-Cuban jazz roots. In 1977 obtained the UNEAC Award, prize for best band and record an LP.
In 1980 he immigrated to the United States and is where his musical career really explodes, becoming a Studio Musician and a Music Producer with international recognition. He was appointed professor of Jazz Guitar at Florida International University between 1994 and 1997.
He has participated in the most important Jazz Festivals around the World: North Sea Jazz Festival, Montreaux Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, JVC Jazz Festival, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Playboy Jazz Festival, Glasgow Jazz Festival, Milan Jazz Festival, Calgary Jazz Festival, Nice Jazz Festival, Chicago Jazz.
His musical career has won several Grammy Awards Certificates: Album "Danzon", by Arturo Sandoval, in the year 1994 (as a Guitarist). Album "The Latin Train",by Arturo Sandoval, in the year 1996 (as a Guitarist). Album "Hot House", by Arturo Sandoval, in the year 1998 (as Guest Artist). For its participation in the production of the album "Caribbean Soul" by Gloria Estefan in the year 2000 (Grammy as a Producer and Songwriter) Album "Oral Fixation" by Shakira, in the year 2006 (Grammy for his participation as a guitarist. Also a Grammy Award Nomination as Producer of the year for the Album "Cautivo" by Chayanne in the year 2006.
He has three Solo albums two on a GRP Label call "The Dreamer" & "Guitar Fire" and one on a Sony Latin Jazz Label call "Mestizo". He has participated in hundreds of recording ssessions with internationally renowned artists such as Miley Cyrus, Frank Ocean, Conor Maynard, Wayne Hawthorne , Mike Posner, Alyssa Bernal, Adam Lambert, Carlos Santana, Celine Dion.
Rene Toledo
Jazz Guitarist