Biography
Performer percussionist, composer, singer and arranger Manny Cepeda has been making music all of his life. His cousin Modesto Cepeda got Manny's first drum at the age of 5 and by the age of 7 Manny was already performing professionally. Manny studied at the Puerto Rico's "Escuela Libre de Musica", the Pablo Casals Conservatory and attended under a scholarship to "Interlochen Music Camp" in Traverse City, Michigan. He graduated from Illinois State University, Ellington University in New Orleans and La Verne University in Naples, Italy.
Manny currently has his own Salsa band in San Diego, CA and he composes his own music and also arranges Latin Jazz music for prominent musicians in San Diego, New York and Puerto Rico.
Manny's first professional performance was as the drummer and timbale player in the highly acclaimed variety TV "Show de Vigoreaux" in San Juan Puerto Rico's Channel 4 and then with other famous bands such as "Babo Jimenez, Richie Ray, Willie Colon and others. Manny has performed at festivals and for dignitaries throughout South America, Africa and Europe. Got to my Electronic Press Kit
He was the leader of the famous Navy Steel Band and the
world traveled U.S. Navy Show Band. His passion and love
for music was developed as a young boy and it rooted in a
rich family history of musical professionals from the famous
"Cepeda" family.
His musical experience of over 50 years makes him a
fountain of knowledge in the Latin Music genre.
He was the leader of the famous Navy Steel Band and
the world traveled U.S. Navy Show Band. He toured
the entire continent of South America, West Africa,
South American, the Caribbean and Europe.
While touring in South America, he did 7 deployments performing 164 concerts and festivals within a 7 year period. His knowledge and expertise as composer/arrangers blends his unique music styles gathered throughout his world travels.
The energy his compositions bring to the audience is nothing but fire and excitement. His unique music enriches your life culturally as well as socially with his unique combination of sequence and live performance, blending technology and human feel unequalled in the entire West Coast.
