Percussion, Drums

Born in Charlotte NC, Raphael was raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Mexico City in a bilingual family.  Teaching himself to play the drums,
Raphael began playing with a variety of bands in 1990.  Moving to Greensboro, NC in 1993, he became involved in West African drum circles
and Latin percussion. 

In 1997, Raphael began studying at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.  He received his BA in Music in 2002 with an emphasis in classical percussion including  studies in piano, marimba, vibraphone and timpani.  During the last few years he has played professionally with many different bands, exploring a variety of styles such as Latin Jazz, West African, and Funk.