Giovanni Hidalgo Trio
Giovanni Hidalgo percussion · Marcio Garcia piano · Myles Sloniker bass
The MASiMAS Festival 2026 presents Giovanni Hidalgo, one of the most influential and respected figures in Afro-Cuban percussion and Latin jazz. Recognized as one of the greatest conga players of all time, Hidalgo has transformed the role of percussion in jazz, bringing it to the center of the musical discourse and giving it an expressive, melodic, and narrative dimension rarely heard before.
Throughout his career, Giovanni Hidalgo has collaborated with true icons of jazz and popular music, developing a personal language that brings together tradition, discipline, and improvisational freedom. His conception of music is deeply connected to personal formation and respect for the craft. In a recent interview for the National Foundation for Popular Culture, Hidalgo himself recalled the decisive influence of his father on the way he understands music: “My father is my mentor and always will be… He was a very upright person with great discipline. He taught me the responsibility and respect one must have when choosing to play.”
In trio format, joined by Marcio Garcia on piano and Myles Sloniker on double bass—two New York–based musicians with solid training in jazz and traditional music from around the world—the repertoire moves between Afro-Cuban rhythms, reinterpretations of jazz standards, explorations of Brazilian popular music, and original compositions. The result is an intense, open, and constantly evolving concert in which percussion not only supports but leads the musical narrative.
Why you shouldn’t miss it: because hearing Giovanni Hidalgo live means witnessing how tradition, discipline, and emotion become living rhythm—a powerful experience in which percussion speaks with its own voice.
