Javier Joaquin Baldivieso Collao | SoultoneCymbals.com

Javier Joaquin Baldivieso Collao

Javier Joaquin Baldivieso Collao

Javier Joaquin R. Collao Baldivieso was born in the city of Nuestra Señora de La Paz - Bolivia on July 14th 1987. He lived most of his childhood in his hometown, bearing a special inclination towards music, especially toward drums. He lived his childhood listening to bands and drummers such as Charlie Watts (Rolling Stones), Nick Mason (Pink Floyd) and Nikko McBrain (Iron Maiden) legendary drummers. By the age of 10 his fascination with drums began to grow, he started to listen to music that was more advanced technically, distinguishing specific sounds of the drums on songs, in this time of his life he feels very influenced with great drummers like John Otto (Limp Bizkit) and Rob Bourdon (Linkin Park), time after becoming a teenager, a stage where people are more susceptible to influences, one day he feels drawn to learn to play drums by listening to drummers who are a part of his Top Ten Drummers List, having as reference John Dolmayan (System of a Down), Brad Wilk (Audioslave and Rage Against The Machine) Brandon Kroeger (Nickelback 1st drummer) David Silveria (Korn) and Joey Jordison (Slipknot) and Jon Wysocki (Staind). Songs such as "Chop Suey", "Toxicity," "Animals", "Killing in the name off", "Nookie," "My Generation", "Like a Stone", "It's Been Awhile", marked in the heart of Javier Joaquin that playing drums was in his path. Due to family plans he moves to the city of Cochabamba in late 2003. Enters the La Salle HighSchool, where he entered the band War College, Legionnaire or timbale playing, this is the first approach of Javier with the "drums", becoming Head of Legionaries in 2004 and 2005 when school ended, these two years practicing some drum partiturs on his "Ghost Kit."

It is then that the love for drums becomes more intense in Joaquin, in 2006 he decided to go to work to save some money and buy his first drum kit, it is so in June 2006 with savings and with the help of his father Javier Baldivieso he achieved to purchase a complete Set of a Pearl drum kit (Named "Camila Pearl"), which served Joaquin to implement his skills on drums so he began playing covers of Latin Bands and Spanish Rock Bands creating and Leading his first band called "D-La4", along with several friends who drove him to keep doing what he liked. Taking advantage of his birthday he played his first official concert, having a great success and getting even more motivated with drums and knowing that it is one of the most important things in his life. Javier Joaquin began playing drums partiturs based on some books like 4 Way Cordination by Marvin Dahlgren, so the next 4 years he increased his knowledge from some classes at the Milan Music Academy, with a private Professor called Carlos Zalazar, or downloading methods and through the Internet (this to improve his technique and knowledge, so he started to teach himself) and also being a part of several bands and projects, increasing his versatilidad. He forms and leads his second band called “HooKah”, which would give life to his third band and one of the most important ones “Kafka”, with whom he recorded their own material, such records and videos were broadcasted nationally. KafKa decides to enter a National Band contest "PEPSI Battle of Bands" in which his band was among the 4 finalists from more than 200 bands nationwide in Bolivia, this contest makes the band worthy of massive advertising on television, radio and all media, spreading their first cut and single "Custumbre o No" in addition to winning a prize 35.000Bs (5,000 $ U.S.) which the band used to improve better instruments, recording videos and new singles. The second cut of Kafka called '"Vision 2020" which is a song dedicated to environmental awareness, which earned two nominations in the Videomania 2009 Awards of Cochabamba, the most important national awards in terms of Videoclip Productions, sharing the red carpet with a lot of bands with a known National and International carrer and reputation such as Octavia, Matamba, Helen Fuentes, Dezaire, Azul Azul, Oxygeno, Alcholica and many others, this was exciting and a fundamental part of Kafka's story. After many successes and experiences Kafka disintegrated in early 2010.

Javier Joaquin goes to study a bit more about drums as a part of more ephemeral projects, then, in August 2010 Joaquin is summoned to join the band of Helen Fuentes, female vocalist of great musical career national and internationally, winning awards as Best Female Vocalist at the Videomania Awards twice, Best Female Vocalist Bolivian Academy Awards and a Recognition from the Milan Academy of Music, she also earned a trip to the United States to be awarded in Premios Estrella Music Awards 2009.

From there on Javier Joaquin becomes a part of MotorHelen, a band in wich the musicians have a great experience and musical level, with whom they have a music project that plays covers from the 70's, 80's and 90's. The band quickly gained great national fame, being invited to several TV and radio media to be recognized as the best band of Classic Band Gender. MotorHelen has minimum 2 to 3 presentations a week and are preparing their first national tour.

Ending the year 2010 J. Joaquin is able to contact a company that makes great handmade drums cymbals in Turkey, Soultone Cymbals, owned by Levy Iky famous drummer, percussionist and worldwide sessionist, he reached an agreement and got an endorsement from the company that recognized him as an artist of the company, sending him a set of Cymbals with his name printed and customized on the Cymbals, plus the official advertising on the site of the company (www.soultonecymbals.com) and also sending merchandise to display and expose the brand in Bolivia. At mid-2011 he manages to get the endorsement in the area of drumsticks, big need in a drummer, endorsement by the Shed Drums and Drumsticks Company(USA). With the two companies signed an exclusive contract he became a formal artist in the companies.

In August 2011 Javier Joaquin thanks to the contacts he made as a drummer he ventures into television as host of a program called Break TV, broadcasted locally and nacionally. A young and dynamic program that is distinguished by breaking all the stereotypes imposed in Cochabamba.

At this time Javier J. is touring with MotorHelen and also forming a side project called Akram Box Band, as well as working in television, and also in touch with companies like Cympad (Switzerland), Pork Pie (USA), Sarai Drums (Bolivia) and Remo (USA)

Endorsed by:

Soultone Cymbals

Shed Drums & Drumsticks Co.