Johnny Almendra

Band leader, percussionist and founder of Los Jóvenes Del Barrio. Almendra was born to Puerto Rican parents, and comes from DeKalb Avenue in the Bed Sty area of Brooklyn, New York. Growing up and hearing music, he was playing along with various household objects. Taking things seriously at age 16, he started on was bongos, then congas, then on to timbales which the instrument he is best known for! He was married to Jillian Armsbury.