Musicians    Santana Tribute

Galo Rivera

Artistically genuine; unique.
Playing with passion and zeal.  

Galo Rivera is as artistically genuine and unique as music gets. Finding a consuming joy in his instruments (Guitar), he plays with a passion and zeal that is obvious to any listener, while at the same time, delivering welcomed refreshment for the seasoned musician. Galo is one of the most respected Latin Rock guitar players known around the world. His music influences has been: Los Indios Tabajara, Santana, John McLaughlin, Malo, Mandrill, Ohio Players, Graham Central Station, Earth Wind and Fire, Larry Carlton, Chic Corea, Al DiMeola, and Jimi Hendrix.

After coming to the U.S. mainland from Puerto Rico on July 4th 1968, Galo found early renown touring Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, South and Central America, with various bands and on his own. By the age of 21 he was playing on stages like Madison Square Garden and Lincoln Center in New York City. Throughout his teenage years Galo continued to hone his skills as musician, recording engineer and a record producer. Galo has also sheared the stage (co-billing) with greats like Blood Sweat and Tears, Tito Nieves, Roberto Torres, Warren Hill, Plena Libre, Huey Dunbar, Willy Chirino, and many others.  

In his later years Galo has performed and traveled doing an unbelievable Tribute to Santana in his concerts, like nobody else in the world does. His guitar tone, heart, energy and feel expresses the same soul fullness and heart penetrating leads like Santana brings to the stages. (Galo says "no cookie cutters here")  Longtime Santana engineer, Glen Kolotkin (winner of a Grammy in 2000 for the production of Santana’s Supernatural CD) says of Galo: "He’s in the same league as other great guitarists I have recorded like Jimi Hendrix and Carlos Santana.

Galo is crafting his new music for his new CD, blending  contemporary renditions of the Latin, Funk, Rock, Blues and Smooth Jazz. 

TO GO BACK

Click here to see Galo's New guitar getting its' last finishing touches.