Oral History of Gino Castillo, interviewed by Kieran Walsh Taylor, 2 February, 2017

Oral History of Gino Castillo, interviewed by Kieran Walsh Taylor, 2 February, 2017

Gino Castillo was born in Quito, Ecuador in 1974. His maternal grandparents raised him and introduced him to classical and Cuban music. He started playing drums when he was thirteen years old. As a drummer, he toured with rock bands in his own country, Latin America, and Europe. In 1998, while studying in Cuba, he decided to focus completely on hand percussion. Castillo moved to New York with his family in 2010 and was there for about a year. Then, he relocated to the Lowcountry, lured by the promise of a great opportunity to play music. After realizing the deal was not real, he tried different jobs to support his family. He was frustrated and depressed but determined to play music. He connected with local musicians including Charlton Singleton and Quentin Baxter and through them, the Charleston Latin Jazz Collective. Castillo reflects about the changes in the Charleston music scene since he arrived in town in 2010. He talks about the challenges of carving a niche for Latin Jazz and funk music. He discusses his participation in the Charleston Jazz Collective, his collaboration with other musicians and the success of the Salsa Nights at Voodoo. Castillo recorded his first solo album Ya llegué in 2008 and in 2014 released SoulFunKubanized.

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https://citadeldigitalarchives.omeka.net/items/show/612

Charleston (S.C.)

1 hour, 9 minutes

Kieran Walsh Taylor

Gino Castillo

Charleston, South Carolina