Joel Hierrezuelo Balart

Cuban musician, singer, producer and songwriter, born 13 October 1972 in Havana, Cuba. He grew up sharing the musical world of his family. Lorenzo, Caridad and Reinaldo Hierrezuelo were his great uncles but it's specially his father showing him the way of percussions. At a very young age, he began guitar studies at the Academy of Music. At 12 he started singing and playing percussions in amateur bands. In 1995, he graduated as a music professor from Havana's Instituto Superior Pedagógico. - September 1995-1996: Joel sang in the group "Ricoson" with which he toured in France. Back in Cuba, he played with the Polito Ibañez band and began playing percussions in the band "Temperamento" with Roberto Fonseca, Javier Zalba, and Ruy López-Nussa. -1997: Joel moved to Paris, France and played in various bands with the likes of Alfredo Rodriguez, Miguel "Angá" Díaz, DJ Dinasty, Diego Pelaez, Camilo Azuquita, Orlando Poleo, Sabor A Son, Raul Paz, Paris Salsa All Stars, and with Beny Suarez Y Su Son. He shared the stage with well-known artists such as Tito Allen, Guillermo Fellove, José Alberto 'El Canario', Celia Cruz, Catherine Lara, Jimmy Bosch, Ernesto Tito Puentes, Mokhtar Samba, Roberto Pla group, Jimmy Sabater, José Mangual Jr., Roberto Torres. -1998-2001: As a singer, he recorded the album "La Charanga" with the group Cubaïla (1998) and "Latinoriental" (2002) of the duo "Jomed" with the Algerian singer Ahmed Hamidou Takdjout. From then on, he took part in numerous musical adventures such as percussionist Miguel "Angá" Díaz album "Echu Mingua" (2000) and Alfredo Rodriguez Y Los Acerekó's "Cuban Jazz" (2001), Line Kruse's album "Dream" (2009), Emma Baya, Salomé De Bahia and Bob Sinclar, North African Groove, Paris Salsa All Stars, Sabor A Son. He sang on mix-albums such as SOS Dialogue, Party Mix 1998, Mega Dance Millenium, Cubana Café 1 & 2. -2002-2005: he founded "Mambí" with Carlos Miguel Hernandez, Luis Manresa, Fino Gomez and Yaité Ramos-Rodriguez. On Mambí's album "Al Machete", he was joined by Tata Güines, Changuito, Alfredo Rodríguez, Julio Padron, Miguel "Angá" Díaz. -2006: he recorded album "Ketukuba" with group Africando. With Michelle Charropin (Alfredo Rodríguez wife) he produced "Oye Afra" in memorial of Alfredo Rodríguez. -2007-2016: After ten years Joel re-integrated and recorded with Roberto Fonseca band: “Akokán” (2008), “Live in Marciac”(2009), “Yo” (2011, nominated in Grammy Awards for the Best Latin Jazz Album) and Roberto Fonseca & Fatoumata Diawara “Live in Marciac” as a percussionist and performing major international tours arrow the word and produced in important festivals: Montreal Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz, North Sea Festival, Jazz in Marciac, Monterrey Jazz Festival, Woomad Adelaide, Woomad New Zealand, Sidney Opera House, Blue Note Tokyo, L’Olympia in Paris, Juan-Les Pain Festival, Barbican Hall in London, the Ronnie Scott's London, Royal Festival Hall, Vienna Konzerthaus, Pori Jazz Festival, Jazz à Vienne, San Francisco Davies Symphony Hall, Chicago Symphony Center, New York Highline Ballroom, Paris Duc de Lombards, New Morning in Paris, Luxemburg Phillarmonic Hall, Hong Kong Arts Festival, and many others. In the same time he collaborated with different projects: Omara Portuondo (Magia Negra tour), Havana Cultura tour with Gilles Peterson, Alex Terrier Cuban Project, Mayra Andrade, Ibrahim Maalouf, Felipe Cabrera, Munir Hossn, Etienne Mbappe, Minino Garay & Frapadingos, Véronique Hermann Sambin, Abraham Mansfaroll & Campana Project "Dizzy El Afrocubano", Sabor A Son and his project "Mambí". -2017: Joel joined the group of the very famous Malian duo Amadou & Mariam and realized more than 80 concerts throughout Europe, the United States, Canada and Africa: We Love Green Festival, Marseilles Fiesta of the Souths, Chorus of Ht de Seine - Musical Seine, Mawazine Festival, Chicago Millenium Park, New York Celebrate Brooklyn Festival, San Francisco Stern Grove Festival, Quebec International Festival, Edmonton Folk Festival, Montreal African Nights Festival, Hungary Vidor Festival, Dusseldorf New Fall Festival - Capitol and many others. -2018: Joel toured with the duo Amadou & Mariam in Asia, Hong Kong and Singapore, the United States, Europe among others. He was selected Artist Generation Spedidam of the promotion 2018-2021. With his group he played at the Wolfi Jazz Festival, at Musicora edition 2018, at Theater Festival of Avignon etc. In September 2018 he released his album "Zapateo Suite" with label Continuo Jazz company, recorded with Yonathan Avishai, Felipe Cabrera, Lukmil Pérez Herrera, Luis Manresa and Munir Hossn a musical journey through his roots and influences accumulated throughout his career. He performed in concert at L'Ermitage Studio and also at the legendary Parisian jazz club "Sunside" for the release of this album. -2019: He toured in Europe and Asia with Amadou and Mariam. With his quintet he performed in several rooms and jazz festivals in France and Europe: Malte International Jazz Festival, Duc de Lombards, Saveur Jazz Festival, La Ferté Jazz Festival, Albervillet jazz, Music en Avre festival. -2020: The Cuban singer, percussionist and guitarist revealed after Zapateo Suite: "Así De Simple", the second album of his quintet project: a musical walk to meet jazz and world music. His personal vision of music shaped Cuban codes and made them evolve into his own musical language. In this album he brings with him an exceptional cast: Pierre de Bethmann on piano, Felipe Cabrera on contrabass, Lukmil Pérez on drums or even flautist Naïssam Jalal, singer Aminata Doumbia, trumpeter Nicolas Folmer and guitarist Sandro Zerafa. -2022: Release of the new album "Cimarrón", the singer claims more strongly than ever the crossbreeding between cultures. Released by Continuo Jazz. It's a tribute to his Afro-Cuban and Caribbean origins. He is accompanied by Felipe Cabrera (double bass), Leonardo Montana (piano, fender Rhodes), Lukmil Perez (drums), Sylvain Gontard (trumpet), Sylvain Barou (flute). He performs with his group at the Sunset-Sunside for the release of this album, at Crest Jazz Festival etc. Guest of Angélique Kidjo in carte blanche of Jazz à Vienne 2022 edition, with Yemi Alade, Imany etc.