William Cepeda

After graduating from the Puerto Rican Conservatory of Music and from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, William Cepeda began playing Latin percussion inspired by Afro-Caribbean rhythms. He later became a trombonist and had the opportunity to join Dizzy Gillespie in 1989 as part of the United Nation Orchestra. After achieving degrees in arranging and composition, this talented musician participated on records by Paquito D'Rivera, Yolandita Monge, Marc Anthony, and Tito Nieves. He also performed along with Eddie Palmieri, Celia Cruz, and Tito Puente, among other prominent Latin artists. In 1998, William Cepeda assembled his own band, debuting with Latin jazz-inflected My Roots and Beyond, followed by Bombazo and 2001's Branching Out. ~ Drago Bonacich