Jimmy Biala
Cuban/Brazilian Percussion
Jimmy Biala is a music educator, performing and recording artist specializing in music of Brazil and Cuba. Jimmy teaches Brazilian and Afro-Cuban percussion music programs to youth and adult students in the San Francisco Bay Area, is a faculty member of the California Brazil Camp, San Jose Jazz, Santa Clara University, Evergreen and San Jose Unified School Districts. He performs regularly with Lewis Jordan's Music At Large, John-Carlos Perea's InterTribal Ensemble, The Sound and Social Justice Collective, the Tüz Music Project, Gypsy Tribe Band, and the Joint Chiefs Band. He has been recognized for excellence in jazz recording and performance by Downbeat Magazine. Jimmy has been a long-time teaching artist in many communities with support from the California Arts Council, Villa Montalvo Arts Education, Asian Improv aRts, Meet the Composer and SV Creates. He is a member of the bateria of the Beija-Flor de Nilópolis Escola de Samba, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.