Giovanni Hidalgo – born November 22, 1963 in San Juan, Puerto Rico – is a Latin Jazz percussionist, who is also known by his nickname Mañenguito. Hidalgo was raised in a musical household - his father, José Manuel Hidalgo, was a well-known conga player known as Mañengue. When he turned 8, he received a handmade conga from his father and practiced at home, developing his skills on a variety of instruments. He joined the Batacumbele Band in 1980, touring Cuba with them the following year. While there, he met Cuban percussionist Chanquito (real name: José Luis Quintana). The two musicians created a unique rhythmic style that had a far-reaching effect on Latin music. He became a popular sideman, playing live with and/or appearing on albums by Zaperoko, Dave Valentin, Kip Hanrahan, Airto Moreira, Paquito D’Rivera, Eddie Palmieri, Dizzy Gillespie, Cameo, Sammy Hagar, and many others. He earned a Grammy Award for his work on Mickey Hart’s 1991 album Planet Drum and went on to appear on several albums by Hart. In 1992, he began a four year stint as an adjunct professor at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, teaching various styles of rhythm from around the world. Hidalgo’s first album as a bandleader was Villa Hidalgo (1992), followed by albums like Worldwide (1993), Time Shifter (1995), Hands of Rhythm (1997), and Best Friends (1999). He continued to work with other artists including Gloria Estefan, Kodo, John Patitucci, and Phish.
