Hot Cuban Classic
Piano Latin Jazz

Nachito

Ignacio "Nachito" Herrera stunned Cuban audiences at the age of twelve, performing "Rachmaninoff's Concerto No. 2" with the Havana Symphony Orchestra. In the late 1990's, Nachito joined the famed ¡Cubanismo! as its lead pianist, arranger, and musical director, playing many of the worlds finest concert halls and prestigious festivals. "Explosive. Crowd Pleasing. Rhythmically intense. Romantic. Dynamic. Jaw-droppingly good" is how the Minneapolis Star-Tribune described Herrera's musicianship, a talent which, according to jazz critic and Playboy Guide To Jazz author Neil Tesser, "...vaults him into the upper echelon - a trinity comprising Chucho Valdes, Gonzalo Rubalcaba and now Nachito Herrera". Following a Winter 2009 tour as a member of The Afro Cuban All Stars, Nachito will embark on extensive worldwide touring on his own.

PRESS
It was the pianist's night on Wednesday at S.O.B.'s. Nachito Herrera, working with the group Cubanismo, was having a good time. On a cha-cha-cha he tore up the music, dropping a series of quotes -- melodies from other cha-cha-chas -- into his solo; the chorus picked up one and sang it. He worked over the dissonance of a whole tone scale, and flatted the fifth degree of a chord, ending a phrase on its bitterness. Left and right hands sprayed contrasting rhythms, and the intensity of the band soared in reaction. - Peter Watrous, New York Times
"Hotter than the burning tip of a contraband Cuban cigar. Stronger than a straight shot of Havana rum. As exciting as a World Series game, with 'El Duque' on the mound. Explosive. Crowd pleasing. Rhythmically intense. Romantic. Dynamic. Jaw-droppingly good." - Tom Surrowicz, Minneapolis Star-Tribune
"Herrera's powerful leadership keeps the audience's attention during the fury of pounding montunos and cascading lines." - Live At The Dakota II Music - Jazz Times
With unbridled freedom, he jams with potent montunos and high-energy timba to solos that can melt snow off the sidewalk. - Jesse Varela, Latin Beat Magazine
Nachito Herrera was a child prodigy who studied in Havana with masters such as Rubén González from the Buena Vista Social Club CD. Herrera joined the high-energy group Cubanismo! in the 1990s. In 2002, Herrera landed like a flare in Minnesota, and is now an Upper Midwest treasure. After he plays "Claudia" by the greatest living Cuban pianist, Chucho Valdés, Nachito says, "We're gonna send this copy to his house, he's going to be so happy to hear a Cuban playing his music in Kalamazoo!" - NPR
Ignacio "Nachito" Herrera steps onto the national stage as a fully evolved artist, brimming with confidence, in total command of a vast array of traditional and contemporary Cuban idioms, and imparting a virtuosic touch on all aspects of this shimmering production.  Herrera's inventive arrangements and the expertise of his musicians produce a program that exudes an organic quality from start to finish. - All About Jazz

Awards

City Pages
Emy
Grammys
Minnesota Music Awards 4 years

Activity Resume

2003:
Many tours for the important jazz festivals of Minnesota, South Dakota, Chicago, New York, California, Europe, Asia, and many others.
Certificate of appreciation for the contribution to the Mexico, Central America, and South America Cultural Awareness.

2004:
Saint Lucia Festival (5th most important jazz festival in the world.)
Orchestra Hall Concert with the Minnesota Orchestra.

2005:
Benefit Concert for Mounds Park Academy.
Hot Summer Jazz Festival.
Minnesota Music Awards winner.
Blue note: Fundraiser in Missouri.
Play with Chick Korea at Orchestra Hall.
Gilmore Jazz Festival.
Concert at Orchestra Hall with the Minnesota Orchestra and Doc Severinsen.

2006:
Recognition at Latin Beat.
Recognition at Jazz Times.
Concert with the Minnesota Orchestra.
Gilmore Jazz Festival.
Hot Summer Jazz Festival.
Master Class at the University of St. Thomas.
Mounds Park Academy Orchestra Performance.
University of Ohio Concert.
R.N.C fundraiser concert.
McKnight Foundation Concert.
Minneapolis Foundation Concert.
West Side fundraiser Concert in St. Paul.
Chicago Jazz Festival.

2007:
Concert at Orchestra Hall.
Minnesota Youth Symphony Concert.
Eden Prairie Fundraiser.
St. Olaf fundraiser.
International keyboard festival.

Miscellaneous:
Minnesota Music Award winner for 3 years in a row.
City Pages Articles for one of the most important jazz musicians in the Twin Cities.
Several tunes on the Hollywood movies.
More than 40 CD’s made as pianist, composer, and producer.

Award:
I have a master in piano and composition. I also have a master in music. I am a composer and orchestra director. I am a specialist in Classical music because of my training from the Institute of Art in Havana, Cuba from which I graduated and obtained all the masters listed above. I learned Classical music playing by studying the Polish and Russian technique. After the end of my classical training, I obtained a master in Afro-Cuban music, Popular music, and Latin Jazz. All the music styles listed above influence my own because it is a mixture of all the styles up till now. Currently, I am the director of my own band, which carries this mixture of styles. Besides learning and mastering the piano, I have also studied and learned the trumpet, the bass, and the drums. I produce my CDs and arrange the music in them. Most of the tunes are original compositions. I am also a piano and technique teacher at MacPhail Center for Music and I go to other universities to give master classes to help the learning process of the next generation of musicians. Several of my students have gotten full scholarships to several music colleges.