Orlando Poleo

b. c. 1965, Caracas, Venezuela. Poleo began playing percussion instruments in early childhood and studied for a while with Julio Mendez, a locally noted teacher. As Poleo developed his skills, he took an interest in African forms and was tutored by Miguel Urbina. He played and often recorded with many noted artists from South America and his talent was also recognized in North America and especially in Europe. Among the artists with whom Poleo recorded are Adrenalina, Clarox, Sergio Pérez, Alberto Naranjo, Gerardo Rosales, Pablo Gil, and Saxomania. The interest shown in his work in France drew Poleo there often, and from the early 90s he spent much of his time living in Paris and playing festivals around the country. He also accompanied visiting artists from the Americas, appearing on bills with Irakere, Arturo Sandoval, Mongo Santamaría, and others. In the mid-90s Poleo made his own-name recording debut with Cimarroneando, on which he collaborated with flautists Orlando ‘Maraca’ Valle, and Dave Valentin. Other instrumentalists with whom he worked on his own-name sets included trumpeters Phillipe Slominski, Tony Russo and Christian Martinez, saxophonists Bobby Rangell and Allen Hoist, pianists Julio Font and Gerardo Dí Gíusto, bass player Xavier Padilla and percussionists André Céccarelli, Luis Viloria and Robert Vilera, as well as singers Orlando Blanco and Carlos Esposito. Many of the tracks played on Poleo’s own albums were his compositions, including ‘Publicidad Gratuita’, ‘Je T’Apporte La Salsa’ and ‘Tema De Chaworo’. Among his songwriting collaborators have been Valle, Font, Dí Gíusto and Padilla. Although his recordings were mostly made in Caracas, Poleo concurrently led a band, Chaworo, in Paris and also appeared at late 90s festivals in Marciac, Nimes and elsewhere, including appearing with David Sanchez in London.