Born in Saint-Cloud, France, in 1957, Mino Cinelu played guitar when he was a child, calling it his “first love.” As a youth, he visited his father’s homeland of Martinique and absorbed the island’s chouval bwa music with its unique rhythms. He started playing drums as a teenager, forming his own funk-fusion band. He also picked up percussion and devoured his father’s Afro-Cuban records, which he says led to his interesting playing style.
He lived in England for a year, and eventually moved to the United States of America, where he quickly hooked up with Miles Davis and began his international career. He has since been in high demand from performers of all genres.
In addition to his solo recordings he appeared on numerous albums, including Gazeuse! (1976) with Gong; Imaginary Day (1997) with Pat Metheny Group; We Want Miles (1982), Star People (1983), Decoy (1984) and That’s What Happened: Live in Germany 1987 (DVD, 1987) with Miles Davis; and Sportin’ Life (1985) and This is This! (1986) with Weather Report.
Solo Discography:
World Trio (1995)
Mino Cinelu (2000)
Quest Journey (2002)
California (2006)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
