Luis Carlos Fuentes Santana was born in Las Tunas (CUBA) on the 29th July 1975 and from very small age he started his passion for music.

He began his music studies at the age of 11 in his native city and then went on to study at the Conservatorium Esteban Salas in Santiago de Cuba and finally the National School of Music in Havana where he graduated as musician, percussion & music ensemble teacher.

After his graduation he started teaching percussion in several schools and conservatoriums in Havana. Luis Carlos created a band called PA’KI (percussion band with students) presenting this band in several festivals and programmes in the Radio and T.V.

At the same time he started to work in the live music world playing with important orchestras such as Los Reyes 73, Clave Cubana, Connexion Salsera, Traje Nuevo and Havana Connexion. He was also part of Cuban shows going in tours to Guadalupe, Aruba and France in several occasions.

Luis Carlos participated also in the recording of several albums next to celebrities such as Soledad Delgado, Kiki Corona, Toni Pérez, Traje Nuevo and Habana Café.

In 2004 he moved all the way from Cuba to London. In this country he got involved pretty quickly in the live music world specifically with Latin jazz and salsa bands. He started playing with Alex Wilson, Omar Puente, Palenke Band, Snowboy, Motimba, Manteca, Ska Cubano, Cache and Chacon y su Timba and gained him the reputation of being one of the top Cuban drummers in the country.

He has been in several festivals such as Latin Splash (London), Glastonbury Festival (UK), Havana en Heddon Street (London, UK), Carnaval Del Pueblo (London, UK), International Festival Jazz in Coventry, Derby Jazz festival, International Festival Jazz in Brecon (Wales), International Congress of salsa in the UK and Salsa Festival in Turkey, Bilbao (Spain) and “Festival de Salsa Cubaine” in Paris (France).

He has shared stage with Ibraim Ferrer, (Buena Vista Social Club) Spanish Harlem Orquestra, Gilberto Santa Rosa and Alex de Castro.

With regard to the recordings he has done in the UK to point out the timbales he recorded in the first D.V.D of Alex Wilson band and the drums with Braille band.

Luis Carlos carries on his musical educational career in the UK. He has done several workshops about afro Cuban percussion at “British Academy of New Music in London, “Access to Music Studios” in Birmingham and “The Beehive Mill-North Trafford Collage Campus” in Manchester. He is also taking part in an experimental project in music teaching to children in need from his local community in Camberwell, London.

At present he owns his own recording studio where he is starting to introduce himself in the production and recording field.

Luis Carlos alternates the recording, musical education and live percussion with several Salsa and Latin jazz bands in England; treating though each part of his job with special professionalism, attention and time.