Santiago Alberto Gonzalez Martinez, born in Colombia (October 16, 1995), is an internationally known Bass player. Santiago started playing bass at the age of 8 in 2003, and in 2007 started his career on his first professional national tour around Colombia playing with a variety of artists. Over time he began to play all kinds of music including jazz (swing, ballads, blues,etc.), Colombian music (vallenato, joropo, porro, etc.), rock, funk and others.
Founder, composer, arranger and bassist of The Bará Group, at only 25 years old, he has had a broad career in music. He started playing in gospel music churches, and joropo festivals on the plain. Then over time he began to travel and play events in the United States, and festivals and events in Colombia.
In 2015 he began to study music (Jazz Bass) at the “Xaverian University” in Bogotá, and began to play many concerts there in Colombia, with different groups and styles of music, including Colombian jazz, swing, porros, joropos, pasillos , bambucos, and played at many festivals in Colombia such as Bandola, El “mono” Nuñez, Sevijazz, Villajazz, Summer Festival, Colombia al Parque, Rock al Parque, Rio Fucha Festival, XXX International Jazz Festival of the Free Theater, among others, with artists and bands including María Escobar, The Bará Group, the highly recognized Gianni Bardaro Sextet, Cesar Avila, among other groups. He has also played at festivals such as the renowned SXSW in Austin, Texas, among others.
He was the winner of the highly recognized “XXX International Jazz Festival of the Free Theater”, one of the most important festivals in LatinAmerica, with all of his compositions and new genre “Joropo-timba-jazz fusion”, played by his group “The Bará Group”. He has had the opportunity to alternate with great groups like Monsieur Perine, Andres Cepeda, Zaperoco, Toto the Momposi, Jon Faddis, Daffer Youseff, Davina and The Vagabonds, Jacky Terrason, Espen Eriksen Trio, among others.
He has recorded more than 50 albums, the first being at the young age of 13. In 2018 he recorded 4 albums really important on his life, for the great saxophonist and Verve Records (Universal Music) artist Gianni Bardaro, a duo with Meinl Percussion artist “FabioOrtiz”, with Colombian pianist “Alex Pastrana Trio Project”, and his first album called “Bará” as a soloist with his group “The Bará Group”, with all of his own compositions.
In October, 2018 Santiago Gonzalez received the largest scholarship from “California College of Music” at Los Angeles, California. Since then, Santiago has been developing an amazing career in Los Angeles as a Bass Player, Music Producer, Music Arranger, Music Co-producer, Musical Director, Touring Musician and Songwriter with different artists such as Kal Banx, Reason, Adal Loreto, Adrian Cota, The Bará Group, Beatriz Solis, Smino, Josefina Silveyra and more.
Besides collaborating with all these artists, Santiago also performed Bass in early 2020 for the Tony Award Nominated Musical, “Found: A New Musical” at the Los Angeles Theatre Center. He has been recording and playing with chart leading artists such as Reason, Adal Loreto, and more. He played too with renowned singer Beatriz Solis during her promotional tour through the U.S.A in 2019, Santiago’s very first year in the country.
Santiago ́s work as a producer, co-producer, arranger, and songwriter has been heard since March 2nd, 2015 in productions such as: “Caravanchela – Llevo Tiempo” (and whole first album) , “The Bará Group – Bará” (album), “Reasons – NEW BEGINNINGS” (album), “Alex Pastrana – Rajando Leña” (album), “Cesar Avila – Tu Radar”, and many more.
Santiago has been gaining big recognition in the field, and thanks to that he has been gaining more and more sponsors in less than 2 years such as:
– Swan Custom Bass – Electric Basses
– Stonefield Music – Electric Basses
– Trickfish Amps. – Bass Amplification
– MEE Audio Professional – Professional In-Ears
– Analysis Plus Cables – High-end patented cables and connectors
– Splice.
With a little more than 20 years of experience and a little more than 2 years after arriving in the United States, he has an extensive career.
Here some of his appearances and creations.
Discography:
– Reason – NEW BEGINNINGS 2020
– Caravanchela – Llevo tiempo 2015
– Caravanchela – Como Hablarte 2015
– Caravanchela – Vámonos de Aquí 2016
– Caravanchela – Funky Feeling (ALBUM) 2016
– Alex Pastrana – Renacer 2018
– Alex Pastrana – Rajando Leña (ALBUM) 2020
– The Bará Group – Bará (ALBUM) 2018
– Cesar Ávila – Tu Radar 2020
– Maria Escobar – Ainda Bem 2020
– Maria Escobar – Fruta Fresca 2020
Just to mention a few.
Instagram: @tiagogbass
