ISRAEL VARELA(Drummer-singer-composer)

EURO LATIN AWARD WINNER! 2008 Best Latin Artist and Best Latin CD 2008 “Tijuana Portrait”.

Has performed or recorded around the world with some of the finest Jazz, Pop, Classical and Flamenco Artists such as: PAT METHENY, CHARLIE HADEN, YO-YO MA, DIEGO AMADOR, MIKE STERN, VICTOR BAILEY, HIRAM BULLOCK, BIRELI LAGRENE, BOB SHEPPARD, ABE LABORIEL, ANDREA BOCELLI, ALEX ACUNA, GARY WILLIS, KAMAL MUSALLAM, PINO DANIELE, SHAI MAESTRO, MONTSE CORTES, RAIMUNDO AMADOR, ALFREDO PAIXAO,KAI ECKHARDT, RASHA RIZK, NASEER SALAMEH, DWIKI DHARMAWAN, PAOLO DAMIANI, OTMARO RUIZ, BOB MINTZER, CARLES BENAVENT, INTERNATIONAL PHILHARMONIA OF THE CALIFORNIAS ORCHESTRA, BAJA CALIFORNIA ORCHESTRA, JAVIER COLINA, MICHAEL MANRING, and many more.

Born in 1979 in Tijuana, Mexico, Israel grew up in family filled with singers, pianists, guitarrists and orchestral conductors. He began to perform in public at the age of five, singing and playing piano. Years later at the age of twelve he began doing gigs as a drummer with the best Tijuana local Jazz bands, and studied under Gonzalo Farrugia, and Andrei Tchernizev.

A major turning point in his life happened in 1995 when his talent was discovered by the great ALEX ACUNA. At the age of fifteen he was studying in Los Angeles privately under ALEX ACUNA(1995-1998), and later under DAVE WECKL (1998-2000) also privately.

He arrived in Italy on 2001 where he studied classical percussion and contemporary music, at the Giuseppe Verdi’s Conservatory.

Two years later he moved to Seville where he studied and mastered all the demanding techniques, rhythms & harmonies of Flamenco Music under the great Diego Amador, Luis Amador, and all the “Amador” family, in Las tres mil viviendas. This became an important period for Varela as during this period he developed his own voice as a drummer and as a composer knowing the Flamenco Tradition and using his own original style to add to it.

He recalls: “when I first listened to Camaron, and Paco de Lucia, they blew my mind, but then when I listened to Diego Amador’s music my life Changed.

A few years later Diego Amador called him to join to his Flamenco Quartet.

His debut album “Tijuana Portrait” (2007)with original compositions was internationally acclaimed winning the Euro Latin Award 2008.

Now Varela is taking a new direction on his second album “BORDER PEOPLE”, experimenting not only with Flamenco, Jazz and Mexican music, but also focusing in his latest direction: “arabic music”, using different sounds and textures and a new set of collaborators, including Arabic Oud player Kamal Musallam.

Israel Varela is currently a member of the Diego Amador Trio(Spain), Kamal Musallam Trio(United Arab Emirates), Tricolor(Italy)and leads his own band Israel Varela ” Trio”(Italy).

He also teaches Drums at Centro Ottava Music School in Rome.