Reinaldo de Jesus (congas) joined Antibalas in 2010. Born in Barrio Obrero Santurce, Puerto Rico, he began to play the “tumbadoras” at the age of ten because of inspirations such as Giovanni Hidalgo, Ray Barreto, Cachete Maldonado, and Anthony Carrillo. In 1990, he was admitted to the Escuela Libre De Musica in Hato Rey, P.R. where he and other students founded the salsa group, Revolucion Latina and performed across Puerto Rico for four years. Reinaldo graduated from the “ELM” in 1996 and enrolled in the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico, where he studied classical percussion.

In 1998, he received a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston. In July 2000, Reinaldo went on tour with trombonist, William Cepeda’s Afro-Rican Jazz group. They toured in Europe and Africa performing in festivals such as: the Montreux Jazz Fest, the Northsea Jazz Fest, the Moers Jazz Fest in Germany and the Tabarka Jazz Fest in Tunisia. After the tour, he moved to Boston and started to play with many different bands such as: Suavecito, Spontaneous, Tony Perez Group, Insight, Entrain, Dispatch, and Braddigan. In 2003, Reinaldo went on tour with Miguel Zenon and the Rhythm Collective to West Africa sponsored by the Jazz Ambassadors Program in D.C. Reinaldo then moved to New York City and became the new conga player of Ralph Irrizarry’s band, Timbalaye. In addition has performed with many different musicians such as: the Curtis Brothers, Miguel Zenon, Cultura Profetica, DLG, Charlie Cruz, Obie Bermudez, Rey Ruiz, Luis Marin, Danilo Perez, Humberto Ramirez, Eric Figueroa, and Julito Alvarado, Papo Vasquez and The Pirates Trobadours, Chris Washburn and the Syotos band, Roy Hargrove’s Big band, Ricky Q (guitarist of India Arie), and toured with Hip-Hop and R&B singer, Lauryn Hill.

Reinaldo started his own Latin Jazz Group, Rhythmic Prophecies, which was chosen for the Jazz Ambassadors 2006 program by the Lincoln Center and the Department of State in DC. Rhythmic Prophecies then went on a three week tour to Southeast Asia. 

Check him out on MYSPACE.