Juan Gerena

Juan Gerena, a percussionist and drummer, was born in New York City. Being of Puerto Rican descent, Juan was exposed and heavily influenced by the island'ís traditional rhythms of Bomba and Plena. His musical journey began playing the bongos as a child. Since then, he has learned a wide range of percussive instruments, such as timbales, congas, drum kit, djembe, bata, and many more. Juan has taken lessons with some of the most influential percussion teachers, such as Johnny Almendra, Tito Cepeda, Jimmy Delgado, Robert Vilera, and David Kovins.

In a big music market that is New York, Juan is a very highly regarded musician, known for his excellent reputation and infectious personality. Over his musical career, Gerena has shared the stage with great artists and groups, including La India, Bernie Williams, Jose Feliciano, Zion Del Barrio, Frankie Negron, Michael Pemberton, Puchi Col√≥n, Hector Martignon, and Latin Grammy winner, Laura Pausini. Juan currently plays with various salsa groups in NYC, including Grupo Arcano. Gerena performed in Teatro SEA, a Latino Manhattan theater company, and their productions "DC 7: The Roberto Clemente Story" and "A Tres Voces." Juan also participated in Thalia Spanish Theater'ís various productions of "Cali Salsa."