Richard Gajate-Garcia

Richie Gajate-Garcia has conducted more than 450 clinics and remains one of the most in demand educators and clinicians. His name is also on one of LP's most popular products, the LP Gajate Bracket.

Garcia has toured with Diana Ross, Art Garfunkel, and Hiroshima, and has more recently toured with Phil Collins. He's worked on the motion picture scores Jungle To Jungle, Mission Impossible, Eight Heads In A Duffle Bag, and many other films. "I constantly look for new sounds," he says."I'm not completely partial to any one instrument, which I feel adds color and appeal to my playing".

Garcia knows that percussion was a natural career choice for him. "I'm Puerto Rican, and percussion instruments are found all throughout our culture." Richie made the decision to play music full time while attending college at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. Richie's main influences were his father (a percussionist with The Xavier Cugat Orchestra), Armando Peraza, Monchito Munoz (timbalero with Tito Rodriguez), Changuito, Candido Camero and Giovanni Hidalgo.

Richie Gajate-Garcia's technique is demonstrated on his videos, Adventures in Rhythm Volumes 1 and 2, produced by Latin Percussion, Inc. as well as on his solo CD entitled "Mis Tres Hijos".