Artist Summary

Artist Bio

It was at only 10 years old, playing drums with various Go-Go bands in Washington, DC, when Ricky Bongos quickly found his calling in a life of music. It was inevitable for him to re-locate to New York City to cultivate his talent. An accomplished musician with a degree in music production, Ricky found himself playing percussion alongside DJ ‘s, holding residencies up and down the East Coast. Ricky found his first big break at 20 when he was asked to join Sarah McLachlan’s tour. Since then, he has continuously toured all over the world with #1 acts like Rihanna, Fergie and the Black Eyed Peas, as well as working on US tours with bands like The Bravery, Kelley Clarkson and Lifehouse.

Ricky Bongos blends the resonance of traditional Afro-Cuban style instruments with deep bass and loud cracks to create an explosive, high energy sound needed to be paired with a live DJ. Ricky has such an amazing ability and stage presence to provide a seamless transition with the DJ allowing him to create revolutionary mashups of percussion with the DJ’s music.
Aside from percussion, Ricky is also a world-renowned sound engineer. He has been involved with thousands of live audio projects, mixing some of today's hottest beats, arena builds, and sound renovations. Ricky has a great passion for and understanding of all forms of music.