Toronto-based Cuban virtuoso Elmer Ferrer is widely recognized as one of the world's premiere modern guitarists. He has recorded and toured the world with many of the most prestigious Cuban musicians, and played to crowds in excess of 90 000. An accomplished music composer, producer, arranger, and performer, he is also the leader of the remarkable Elmer Ferrer Band, “known for wowing the crowds with blues rock sprinkled liberally with Cuban jazz” (The Ottawa Citizen, 2007). Born in 1973 in Sancti Spíritus -a small city that holds one of the strongest histories in Cuban traditional music- Elmer started to play guitar at age 12. During his first year out of four of classical guitar studies at Havana´s famed National School of Arts (ENA), he saw the American movie “Crossroads”. The film opened the door for the sixteen-year-old classical guitarist Elmer Ferrer to the world of Jazz and Blues. He soon discovered the art of guitarists like John Scofield, Pat Matheny, Scott Henderson, Steve Vai, Mike Stern, Robben Ford and Steve Ray Vaughan, and decided he wanted to play the electric guitar. But there were no electric guitar programs in Cuban music schools back then; thus, Elmer continued to study classical guitar, while devoting every free minute to the self-study of the electric instrument. One year after his graduation as a classical guitarist, the same ENA hired him to teach at the new ‘Department of Electric Guitar’.   Known as Cuba’s most sought after electric guitarist, Elmer has been one of the most prolific studio musicians in Cuba in the last decade. He contributed to several music recordings, including two Latin Grammy nominated albums and an Oscar nominated movie soundtrack. He has performed at international Jazz and Blues festivals world-wide, and played live shows and improvised jams with international figures as Me'Shell Ndegé Ocello, Ed Motta, the Otis Taylor Band, Los Lobos, and Chris Duarte. Some of the Cuban names he has collaborated with, include the multi awarded Juan Formell & Los Van Van, Orlando Valle "Maraca", and the 6 times Grammy winner maestro Chucho Valdés.

Photo: Alvaro Martinez Elmer Ferrer Band @ Vancouver Jazz Festival, 2009

With his first CD as a soloist (Metropoli –Unicornio, 2002), Elmer won the Best New Album Award at the International Music Fair Cubadisco 2003, and was also nominated for Best Jazz Album of the Year. The Elmer Ferrer Band was formed in Havana one year later, and had its International debut at the 2005 Cisco Systems Ottawa Bluesfest (Ottawa, Canada), opening concert for American star Kid Rock. Elmer´s sencond CD Fango Dance was released at the event, and ranked fifth in units sold. Since then, "Cuban Elmer Ferrer has toured the world with his band, thrilling crowds with his blazing guitar riffs of latin jazz, blues and rock" (Ottawa Metronews, 2007) and the phrase “return by popular demand” has been heard more than once. On four years of existence, the Elmer Ferrer Band has made the line up on stage at international events with Keb Mo, Johnny Lang, Bonnie Raitt, the Chris Duarte Group, David Hidalgo & Los Lobos, Kid Rock, the Derek Trucks Band and Van Morrison.

Critics have compared Ferrer's guitar skills to those of music legends like Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Words like “Metheny meets SRV” has been used when describing his guitar work. Elmer's signature high energy jazz-blues-rock fusion has been called "an advanced mix of Cuban jazz with electric blues", and has brought him international acclaim as one of the strongest voices in today’s world of modern electric guitar music.
 

Soloist Awards and Nominations:

 - Metropoli,  Elmer  Ferrer (Unicornio, 2002) –Awarded Cubadisco 2003 Best New Album of the Year. Also nominated 

      as Best  Jazz Album of the Year.

- Jazz Cuba Today,  Roberto  Carcasses,  Alexander  Brown,  and  Elmer  Ferrer  (Unicornio,  2005) –  Awarded 2006   

    Cubadisco Best DVD of the Year.

- Los Gatos de Alf, finalist for Best Jazz Song of the Year at the International Songwriting Competition (ISC), 2007.

 Awards and nominations as Music Producer or Arranger:

 - De Cero, Diego Gutierrez (Unicornio, 2006). Awarded Cubadisco 2007 Best Trova-Pop-Rock Album of the Year.

- Mi Generacion, Tesis de Menta (Egrem, 2006). Nominated Best Pop-Rock Album of the Year, Cubadisco 2007.

- Breathe, Yusa (TUMI Music, 2005). Nominated as Best Fusion Album of the Year, Cubadisco 2006.

   Elmer is also co-composer to two songs on this CD ("Re-nacimiento" y "El fantasma del marino").

- Jazz Cuba Today, (Elmer Ferrer Band segment) 2005 – Awarded 2006 Cubadisco Best DVD of the Year.

- Metropoli,  Elmer  Ferrer  (Unicornio,  2002)  –Awarded 2003 Cubadisco Best New Album, also nominated as Best Jazz

  Album of the Year.

- Sin Julieta, Santiago Feliu (Unicornio, 2002). Nominated Best Trova Pop-Rock Album of the Year, Cubadisco 2004.

- Entre otros, Noel Nicola & Santiago Feliú (Unicornio, 2002). Nominated Best Song Album of the Year, Cubadisco 2004.

- Bobby Carcassés, Jazz Timbero (TUMI Music, 1998). Nominated in five categories including Best Record of the Year,  

  Cubadisco  1999. 

 Movie Soundtracks recordings highlights:

 - El Benny (Cuba). Director: Jorge Luis Sánchez. 2006 Oscar nominated. Elmer recorded the “original” guitar of Cuban 

   Music legend Benny More, in the soundtrack recording produced by Maestro Juan Manuel Ceruto.

- Habana Blues (Cuba-Spain). Director: Benito Zambrana. Goya Awarded Best Original Soundtrack, 2005.

More on Elmer's discography @ DISCOGRAPHY PAGE