EFRÉN CAPIZ CASTAÑEDA
Drums
Efrén Capiz comes from Morelia, Mexico. Some of his early musical studies took place at the Escuela Popular de Bellas Artes (Popular School of Fine Arts) of the University of Morelia, the Conservatorio de las Rosas (Conservatory of Morelia) and the National Conservatory of Mexico City.
Even though a big part of his formation as a drummer has been based in self-education, he has also received lessons from well known teachers like Hernán Hecht, Gabriel Puentes, Jorge Fernandez, Antonio Sanchez, Eugenio Toussaint, Héctor Infanzón, Roberto Arballo, Pepe Hernandez, Aarón Cruz, Francisco Lelo de Larea and Remi Älvarez, among others.
He has been a regular participant at the Center-West Jazz Encounters in its editions of 2008, 2009 and 2010, organized in Aguascalientes, México. Efrén has a very wide musical taste and throughout his career has been interested in several music styles such as Jazz, Rock, Afro-Antilles music, Reggae, Rhythm and Blues, Traditional Mexican music such as Sones and Abajeños Purhèpechas, Sones Planeco and Calentano, Son de Mariachi; and also pop and dancing music.
Since the year 2000 he has been leading his own band BLURHEPECHA and with them has recorded and produced the titles: Amigos y Estándares I, II, y III, Orquesta de Quinceo, Jazz del mas Acá and a live DVD. These productions also feature several Efrén’s compositions and arrangements in which he shows his personal fusion of Jazz and Rock with elements of traditional Mexican music, especially of the Mexican region of Michoacan.
Efrén has also published a compilation of most compositions and arrangements. As session musician at concerts and recordings he has collaborated with several bands and solo artists, and has performed in a large number of clubs, theaters, concert hall and squares.
He has also performed in several music festivals joining a large list of well known artists such as Hilario y Miky, Chilo Morán, Roberto Briseño, Yekina Pavón, Juan Alzate, Miguel Villicaña, Huazzteco, Greg Osby, Francesco Crosara, Ken Basman, Gabriel Hernández, Héctor Infanzón, Dan Greenspan, Mili Bermejo, Jim Odgren, Tsuyoshi Niwa, Orquesta de Manuel Arpero, Orquesta Sinfónica de Michoacán, Down Beats, Pedro Cartas, Remi Älvarez, Allen Herman, Tom Aalfs, Tomás Ramirez, Frank Bravo, Robert Kaplan, Denisse Perrier, Jed Paradies, Verónica Ituarte, Magos Herrera, Paty Careón, John Ronstadt, Jose Luis Gonzalez Chagoyán, Gil Gutierrez, David Barrett, Hank Stampf, Mario Patrón, etc...
His professional activity also includes the production of music and for multimedia productions, short films and video clips for the visual artist Dominique Jonard in Morelia, México.
