Rolando Benavidez

Born and raised in Rio Grande City, a small town in Texas near the Mexican border, Rolando Benavidez, Jr. was influenced by a mix of musical genres including Norteno, Tejano, and Salsa.

As a child, Rolando toured with his musician father where he played drums. This experience broadened his musical interests and he was drawn to the conga. Playing conga came natural to Benevidez and he soon incorporated the rhythms into his music. After high school, Rolando and several friends founded the band, Solido.

By the time Benavidez turned twenty-one, he had already won a Grammy award and received a Grammy nomination. More accolades followed including the Tejano Music Awards and Latin Grammy nominations. In 2009, he was again nominated for a Grammy award.

Rolo has also recorded with groups such as Duelo, Orfy, Gallitos, Dinora and many more. After a span of eight years with Solido, he has moved on to a new project called El Privilegio.

Rolo credits much of his success to his mentors Rolando Benavidez, Sr., Sergio Serna, Art Mesa and Giovanni Hidalgo.

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