Joaquín Núñez and Habana Safari at DROM Taberna

Joaquin Nuñez Hidalgo was born and raised in Cuba. His early inspiration was his musically gifted father Porfirio Nuñez, a former singer/ guitarist with one of the oldest Cuban orchestras “Brisas de Nipe”. A self-taught musician and now Master Rumbero Joaquín Núñez Hidalgo began playing percussion instruments at the age of five. As a professional artist, Joaquín has had a successful music career in Cuba. Performing in numerous musical events and festivals, he has shared the stage with most of Cuba’s elite musicians.

Eventually settling in Toronto in 1999, Joaquín quickly became immersed in the local music scene performing as a drummer and percussionist with top Canadian based artists (Jane Bunnett, Bill King, Njacko Backo, Eddie Bullen, Hilario Durán, Canadian Tenors, Luis Mario Ochoa), performing in many Jazz festivals (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Beaches Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax Jazz Festival among others) across the country as well as internationally.

Joaquín has been a percussionist on Juno and Grammy-nominated CD compilations, Juno nominated – Hilario Durán Trio “Motion” (2010); and Grammy-nominated and Juno Award Winner 2007 – Hilario Big Band CD “From the Heart” featuring Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez & Paquito D’Rivera (2007). Joaquín co-produced “Havana Nights” (2010) in collaboration with pianist, Eddie Bullen; also, he was the producer of Cubanos’ debut CD “Holguin” (2002); and he performed as a percussionist for the North American premier of the soundtrack to the musical theatre production of “Dirty Dancing” (2008). Exploded onto the world music scene as a co-producer of the CD with famed Euro-performer Zucchero “La Sesión Cubana”, doing the record’s release “2013-2014 World Tour Zucchero and La Sesión Cubana.”

Host or Publisher Drom Taberna