BELEDO

New York guitarist, pianist, and composer, Beledo was born in Montevideo Uruguay. He began formal music and piano study at age six. As the British Invasion began to take hold of airwaves around the world, influenced by the Beatles and other emerging pop rock bands, he gravitated towards and discovered a natural proficiency for guitar.

Biography

Beledo gained guitar-hero status in his teens, playing every theatre in his hometown of Montevideo, and captivating audiences in Uruguay and Argentina.

After a brief tenure with Uruguayan rock and blues super-group, Dias de Blues, Beledo pioneered the jazz-rock band, Maytreya, and later on, the mythical Siddhartha, inspired by the burgeoning jazz-fusion movement (Chick Corea, Weather Report, Soft Machine & etc.). His fusion efforts of the early 80’s in South America, during which he appeared at top venues and recorded with Pedro Aznar (formerly with Pat Metheny Group), Ruben Rada, and the legendary band, Opa, attracted media attention in the U.S., where he gained recognition as an upcoming talent in GUITAR PLAYER and JAZZIZ magazines.

Formal music studies continued throughout his college career. He performed classical music recitals on National Public Radio and in numerous theaters. While attending the University School of Music in Uruguay, he was a founding member of The University Conservatory Jazz Quartet, the university’s first jazz ensemble, sponsored by the school in an effort to integrate jazz into the traditional curriculum.

Beledo is the guitar player on the album, FORWARD MOTION, by the South African Jazz band, Ojoyo, featuring saxophonist and band leader, Morris Goldberg; drummer, Anton Fig and bassist Bakithi Kumalo.

In 1996 Beledo toured Europe and the Caribbean with the TROPICAL TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES, featuring Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Tito Nieves, Cheo Feliciano, and an all-star line up of Latin artists.

In 2007, Beledo released MONTEVIDEO JAZZ DREAMS (Gudari Records), featuring Stefon Harris, Randy Brecker, Manolo Badrena, Mark Walker, Andy Middleton, David Finck, Jorge Camiruaga and Chris Komer.
In 2012 he released, ON A MISSION, with his band, The Avengers, won critical acclaim on tour in South America through Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, gaining excellent reviews and strong CD sales in Japan, the U.K., France, Germany, Poland, Hungary, Australia and more. The Avengers are Beledo on guitar, Adam Holzman on keyboards, Lincoln Goines on bass, and Kim Plainfield on drums. The band toured Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay and played in Racife Porto Alegre, Montevideo Jazz Festival, Buenos Aires Jazz Festival, Cordoba Jazz Festival, Neuquén. They finished with an unforgettable concert at the Teatro Lavalleja in Minas, Uruguay, Beledo's hometown.

Beledo signed with Moonjune Records – NYC in 2013, and traveled to Canada to record with Romanian keyboardist, Gia Ionesco, alongside drummer Virgil Donatti and bassist Anthony Crawford. A subsequent Ionesco session was scheduled in New York, which included Mauro Pagani on violin, Jimmy Haslip on bass, Asaf Sirkis on drums, Johnny Johnson on sax, and Mino Cinelu on percussion.

In 2016 Beledo's first CD DREAMLAND MECHANISM on Moonjune Records was released, featuring Gary Husband on drums and Lincoln Goines on bass. Also with collaborations of Dewa Budjana and other musicians from Indonesia. These album features Beledo's multi-instrumentalist talents, on guitars, piano, keyboards, violin, accordion and vocals.

Additional outstanding Moonjune Records collaborations included work with the extraordinary Indonesian World Jazz Fusion band, Simak Dialog, with pianist Riza Arshad and guitarist Tohpati at Orion Studio, Baltimore, MD (09/07/13). Beledo also performed in a duo with Indonesian superstar guitarist, Dewa Budjana in Princeton and Burlington in a Southern New Jersey mini-tour on Dewa's last visit to the States, and recorded with Indonesia's premiere pianist, composer/ arranger/ conductor/ producer, Dwiki Dharmawan with whom he toured twice in Indonesia.



Beledo toured in the North-East of the USA opening for the legendary guitarist Allan Holdsworth in 2013, and later on with the legendary English Jazz Rock band Soft Machine, featuring John Etheridge, John, Marshall and Roy Babbington, a tour that included Toronto, Canada.

In 2018 Beledo Toured in China with his trio featuring Chinese bass player Zhang Ling.


In 2021 Beledo's second CD SERIOUSLY DEEP on Moonjune Records was released featuring Tony Levin on bass and Kenny Grohowski on drums.  This album features also Boris Savoldelli and Kearoma Rantao on vocals.

Beledo and his band played at the Moonjune International festivals in Bosnia in 2022 and
 in Toledo Spain in 2023.

In 2023 he toured the US this time as a member of the legendary band Soft Machine.

Beledo's third album on Moonjune FLOTANDO EN EL VACÍO is ready to be released and it will feature Carles Benavent on bass, Jorge Pardo on flute, Asaf Sirkis on drums and Gary Husband on piano.

On February 28 2024 he played the music of his old band SIDDHARTHA of the late 70s and early 80s with the Montevideo Philharmonic Orchestra featuring his own arrangements at the Teatro Solís in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Versed in classical theory, composition and technique, adept in the traditional styles of his birthplace, drawing inspiration from vast and diverse modern musical forms, Beledo has earned his place among the most sophisticated, versatile, and gifted artists of our time.

Timeline & Highlights

Beledo-Camiruaga Septeto at TEATRO DEL NOTARIADO, Montevideo 1987

BELEDO performed at LA PATAIA International Jazz Festival in Punta del Este, and presented his project MONTEVIDEO JAZZ DREAMS at SALA ZITARROSA in Montevideo.

He gave a master class at the UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MUSIC offering his perspective of harmony, composition, and improvisation to classical music students.

He participated in Manolo Badrena's percussion instructional video explaining the different voices of the Afro-Uruguayan rhythm called Candombe, and performing a candombe fusion song on guitar with Manolo on percussion.

BELEDO's latest solo album, MONTEVIDEO JAZZ DREAMS features STEFON HARRIS on vibraphone, RANDY BRECKER on trumpet, MARK WALKER and MANOLO BADRENA on drums, ANDY MIDDLETON on sax, CHRIS KOMER on french horn, DAVID FINCK on upright bass, and JORGE CAMIRUAGA on vibraphone.
Beledo with Stefon Harris in New York City

In 2001 BELEDO performed a series of concerts that included: guest soloist of the LANDES JUGEND JAZZ ORCHESTER HESSEN from Germany and opening act for MARCUS MILLER BAND. At this time, BELEDO went back to his home town of Minas, Uruguay where he performed an unforgettable solo concert at the Club Minas' Concert Hall.
At the Jazz Tour 2001 in Montevideo
With Marcus in Montevideo
In 1997 BELEDO went to Uruguay to perform a concert presenting the album LEJANAS SERRANIAS at the Theatre of the National Library. This is a World-Jazz acoustic work that incorporates classic Uruguayan musical forms such as triste, milonga, chimarrita, and candombe rhythms, as well as Spanish flamenco styles.
In Concert at the Theatre of the National Library in Montevideo
Above, left to right: Beledo, Jorge Camiruaga, Ariel Ameijenda, Edu Lombardo, Popo Romano
Beledo was the musical director of THE UPSIDE DOWN BOY, with music composed by CRISTIAN AMIGO. This musical was the 2004 production of the New York theatre and arts education and organization MAKING BOOKS SING.

Beledo's album DESDE LA TORRE released in Uruguay, contains his USA recording sessions in New York and Los Angeles. It features also other great musicians from both coasts: DAVID J. CARPENTER (bass}, JONATHAN JOSEPH (drums), MARIO RODRIGUEZ (bass), CASEY SCHEUERELL (drums), KALANI (vibraphone, percussion), ANN PATTERSON (sax), MATT OTTO (sax).

Here in the U.S., he recorded piano and guitar for the candombe song "Speak To Me"by BAKITHI KUMALO from South Africa (bass player with Paul Simon, Herbie Hancock, Paul Winter, Gloria Estefan), included in his second solo album IN FRONT OF MY EYES released by the label SIAM RECORDS.

BELEDO played flamenco guitar with Argentine actress CRISTINA ALLENDE performing selected poems of FEDERICO GARCÍA LORCA at the Greenwich Theatre in New York produced by CAMILA PERISÉE..

He recorded the South American Folklore CD: SPIRIT OF MY PEOPLE with JORGE ALFANO AND AKONCAGUA also featuring percussionist RANDY CRAFTON and produced by PETER KATER for the World Music label EARTHSEA RECORDS.

Home-based in New York, Beledo has performed with, among others, the following...

-His own band HEMISPHERES, who had a very successful concert at the Laurie Beechman Theatre (beneath the West Bank Cafe) in New York City featuring MARK WALKER, ANDY MIDDLETON, JACK WALRATH , CHRIS KOMER, and JORGE CAMIRUAGA.
-Candombe-Funk band ALMA Y VIDA. Their first album called CANDOMBE EN NEW YORK features also RAMÓN ECHEGARAY, HUGO FATTORUSO, and bassist BAKITHI KUMALO.
-Safro-Jazz band OJOYO featuring saxophonist MORRIS GOLDBERG from the ROSIE O'DONNELL SHOW, and drummer ANTON FIG from the LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN.
OJOYO at Le Bar Bat, NYC with Cecilia Tenconi, Morris Goldberg, Beledo, Anton Fig, Chulo Gatewood, and Richard Cummings
BELEDO's recent recording dates include an album with acclaimed Argentine pianist and composer FERNANDO OTERO (pictured right, in New York City).

BELEDO toured with the TROPICAL TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES featuring TITO PUENTE, CELIA CRUZ, TITO NIEVES, CHEO FELICIANO, and an all-star line up of Latin artists. This tour included Spain, Portugal, and Martinique with concerts in Madrid, Barcelona, Las Palmas, Valencia, La Coruña, Lisbon, and Fort de France.

He also collaborated on the production of the RUBEN RADA album entitled MONTEVIDEO. This album also features ANTON FIG, BAKHITI KUMALO, HIRAM BULLOCK and HUGO FATTORUSO.

Pictured left: Beledo with Tito Puente in Madrid

Early Projects

While he was based in Los Angeles, BELEDO attended the UCLA Certified Program for Film Scoring. Later, he co-produced music with PETER AYKROYD for the WARNER BROTHERS film, NOTHING BUT TROUBLE starring DEMI MOORE, JOHN CANDY, DAN AYKROYD, and CHEVY CHASE.

For three years BELEDO worked with PEDRO AZNAR (from Pat Metheny Group), participating in his album, FOTOS DE TOKYO together with pianist MARIO PARMISANO (from Al Di Meola). Aznar also participated in BELEDO's first album, ESCAPE. BELEDO's second album, EL CEFIRO features GARY WILLIS (bass with Tribal Tech), and BILL BERG (drummer from Wayne Johnson Trio, Flim and the BB's, ).
Beledo with Pedro Aznar (photo by Ralph Meza)

BELEDO performed and recorded with the group OPA in Montevideo, Uruguay, featuring HUGO FATTORUSO and RUBEN RADA, on the live album called OPA EN VIVO.
With OPA in 1987. Left to right: Beledo, Osvaldo Fattoruso, Ruben Rada, and Hugo Fattoruso
BELEDO's band HEMISPHERES performed at the NAMM Show in Anaheim, California and in New York City at LE BAR BAT featuring recording artists STEFON HARRIS, JOE LOCKE, MARIO RODRIGUEZ, and CAROL MOORE. HEMISPHERES performed at ALEMDALENDA in Montevideo.
Hemispheres in Los Angeles, 1991. Left to right: Beledo, Matt Otto,
David J. Carpenter, and Michael Bissonnette

From the very Beginning

SIDDHARTHA, circa 1977
Counter clockwise: Andres Bedó, Artigas Silvestro, Beledo, and Sergio Andres Faluótico
© Copyright 2021 - Beledo - All Rights Reserved.
Diseño web Guillermo Galain.
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