Ritmo Masacote is the music section of the company Masacote Entertainment, a music, dance, and multimedia company.
Directed by Joel Masacote Massicot, Ritmo Masacote is a 9 piece Latin jazz band. It's a Latin Jazz merging of different musical styles ranging from Bebop to Spoken Word to Smooth Jazz to Salsa. Masacote performs original scores with highly percussive songs and infectious rhythms. Moreover, the band has become quite popular for being coupled in special stage appearances with the company's dancers (Masacote Dance Company), an internationally renowned group of dancers known for their breathtaking performances and visually stunning choreographies.
The band made its much anticipated debut in Cambridge, MA, USA during May 2006, when it released its first album entitled "MASACOTE" to rave reviews. The musicians on the CD are Chino Nunez, Jimmy Bosch, Ruben Rodriguez, Raul Agraz, Ivan Renta, Luisito Quintero and Gordon Neil.
Joel, an accomplished jazz and reggae musician, has studied piano since the year 1986, trumpet since 1987, and saxophone and drums since 1991. Although this versatile musician has trained to play in different musical genres (jazz, reggae, funk, salsa, and Latin jazz), he decided to focus on his love for Latin jazz in 1997 and has since trained with some of the top musicians in the industry.
While living in St. Croix, Joel was the director of Various Artists, his own reggae, jazz, and funk band, and a part of the 666th Army National Guard Band. When Howard University School of Fine Arts Music Department in DC recruited him as a Jazz studies piano major in 1998, Joel ventured from St. Croix to Washington, DC to pursue his musical career.
Since then, he has had the honor of playing with such highly acclaimed bands as Orquesta La Romana (Washington,DC), voted best salsa orchestra by salsametro.com consecutively 2001-2005, the 257th Army National Guard Band (Washington, DC), Sound V.I. Zion Records Reggae Band (St. Croix, VI), and Edwin Pabon and Orchestra (Boston, MA). In early 2005, he was selected to tour with Sound V.I.Zion Records during its Spring 2005 East Coast Tour. He has also had the honor of performing on stage with such Grammy winning salsa bands and artists as Mambo 911 (Chicago, IL), New Swing Sextet, Chino Nuñez, Bobby Allende, Ray De La Paz, Frankie Vazquez, and Roberto Roena, among others.
Joel's recordings include Howard University's 1998 Jazz Ensemble as well as compositions and arrangements with 3 major record labels (B'neath Da Underground Sounds, LLS Records, and Sound V.I. Zion Records). He has also co-produced a cd entitled "Jerome Austrie", a vocalist and guitarist.
In 2003, Joel began preparing for the release of his own much anticipated, Latin jazz cd with his original, never heard before, musical compositions, some of which have been in the works as early as 1995. His focus lies specifically on the relation of notes to movement.
Credits - MASACOTE (2006):
Producer, Composer and Arranger/ Piano- Joel "Masacote" Massicot
Co-Producer, Mixing engineer, Timbales, Bongo, Quinto and misc percussions- Pablo "Chino" Nunez
Congas and Drums- Luisito Quintero
Trumpet- Raul Agraz
Tenor Saxaphone- Ivan Renta
Trombone- Jimmy Bosch
Vocals- Gordon Neil
In 2008, it released its 2nd album titled "Fantagious" in a 2-hour sit down theater production.
Credits - FANTAGIOUS (2008):
Joel "Masacote" Massicot Piano
Panagiotis Andreou Bass and vocals
Michel Gonzalez Acoustic guitar
Pablo "Chino" Nunez Timbales, bongos, minor perc.
Tim Mayor Alto and tenor sax
Richie Viruet Trumpet
Luisito Quintero Congas
Pablo Bencid Drums
