Nachito Herrera Signs with The Rosebud Agency
November 2008, Rosebud News

The Rosebud Agency has signed renowned pianist and bandleader Nachito Herrera for exclusive worldwide representation. Ignacio "Nachito" Herrera stunned Cuban audiences at the age of twelve, performing "Rachmaninoff's Concerto No. 2" with the Havana Symphony Orchestra. In the late 1990's, Nachito joined the famed ¡Cubanismo! as its lead pianist, arranger, and musical director, playing many of the worlds finest concert halls and prestigious festivals. "Explosive. Crowd Pleasing. Rhythmically intense. Romantic. Dynamic. Jaw-droppingly good" is how the Minneapolis Star-Tribune described Herrera's musicianship, a talent which, according to jazz critic and Playboy Guide To Jazz author Neil Tesser, "...vaults him into the upper echelon - a trinity comprising Chucho Valdes, Gonzalo Rubalcaba and now Nachito Herrera". Following a Winter 2009 tour as a member of The Afro Cuban All Stars, Nachito will embark on extensive worldwide touring on his own.


PRESS

It was the pianist's night on Wednesday at S.O.B.'s. Nachito Herrera, working with the group Cubanismo, was having a good time. On a cha-cha-cha he tore up the music, dropping a series of quotes -- melodies from other cha-cha-chas -- into his solo; the chorus picked up one and sang it. He worked over the dissonance of a whole tone scale, and flatted the fifth degree of a chord, ending a phrase on its bitterness. Left and right hands sprayed contrasting rhythms, and the intensity of the band soared in reaction.
- Peter Watrous, New York Times

“Hotter than the burning tip of a contraband Cuban cigar. Stronger than a straight shot of Havana rum. As exciting as a World Series game, with ‘El Duque’ on the mound. Explosive. Crowd pleasing. Rhythmically intense. Romantic. Dynamic. Jaw-droppingly good.”
- Tom Surrowicz, Minneapolis Star-Tribune

"Herrera's powerful leadership keeps the audience's attention during the fury of pounding montunos and cascading lines." - Live At The Dakota II Music
- Jazz Times

With unbridled freedom, he jams with potent montunos and high-energy timba to solos that can melt snow off the sidewalk.
- Jesse Varela, Latin Beat Magazine

Nachito Herrera was a child prodigy who studied in Havana with masters such as Rubén González from the Buena Vista Social Club CD. Herrera joined the high-energy group Cubanismo! in the 1990s. In 2002, Herrera landed like a flare in Minnesota, and is now an Upper Midwest treasure. After he plays "Claudia" by the greatest living Cuban pianist, Chucho Valdés, Nachito says, "We're gonna send this copy to his house, he's going to be so happy to hear a Cuban playing his music in Kalamazoo!"
- NPR

Ignacio “Nachito” Herrera steps onto the national stage as a fully evolved artist, brimming with confidence, in total command of a vast array of traditional and contemporary Cuban idioms, and imparting a virtuosic touch on all aspects of this shimmering production.

Herrera's inventive arrangements and the expertise of his musicians produce a program that exudes an organic quality from start to finish.
- All About Jazz