Walter “Gavitt” Ferguson Byfield, better known as Walter Ferguson, was born May 7, 1919 in Guabito, Panama. His father, Melsha Lorenzo Ferguson, was a Jamaican…
Artist Profiles: Walter Ferguson
Tag: Costa Rican Music
A Celebration of 100 Years of Calypso Walter Ferguson
The Danza y Movimiento label has released an album titled 100 Years of Calypso Walter Ferguson. Famed Costa Rican singer-songwriter Walter Ferguson turned 101 years…
Artist Profiles: Orquesta de la Papaya
Since its creation in February 2002, the Orquesta de la Papaya (Papaya Orchestra) has become Central America’s most distinctive calling card. Meeting for the first…
Artist Profiles: Manuel Obregón
An intense desire to experiment has led Manuel Obregón down the paths of theater, cinema, and dance. Jazz has been his platform for musical ideas,…
Artist Profiles: Manuel Monestel
Manuel Monestel was born in San Pedro de Montes de Oca, Costa Rica in 1950. He is a singer songwriter whose songs refer to local…
Artist Profiles: Malpais
The group “Malpaís” (whose literal meaning is “bad country” or badlands) takes its name from the Peninsula of Nicoya’s most remote shore, a forgotten land…
Artist Profiles: Luis Muñoz
Luis Muñoz, composer, arranger and percussionist, was born in San Jose, Costa Rica. Coming from a very musical family, Luis showed an early interest in…
Artist Profiles: Jorge Strunz
Jorge Strunz was born in Costa Rica and was given his first guitar at age 6. He began performing professionally in their early teens. The…
Artist Profiles: Jaime Gamboa
Jaime Gamboa is a philologist, publicist, poet and bass player. He has written much of the lyrics of Malpais’ songs, along with his late brother…
Artist Profiles: Iván Rodríguez
Iván Rodríguez was a violinist in the National Symphonic Orchestra of Costa Rica for twenty years, and member of Adrián Goizueta’s Grupo Experimental and the…