Bio

Musician Guitarist, Composer, Producer & Educator

With multiple records as a bandleader, Juan D Arango is constantly exploring concepts where improvisation plays a very important role in the development of compositions. Currently, Juan plays with AKA Trio and Mèdulla. Additionally, he released a record with original compositions titled MADAYA, collaborating on a track with the renowned rap artist N.Hardem.

In February 2018 he formed a duo called Mèdulla with drummer Pedro Acosta. The duo explores the PC as part of the music and timbre, improvising on original compositions, standards and popular songs. Together with Pedro Acosta and Kike Harker, in 2018 they started a new project: AKA Trio. The trio carries a strong influence from BlueNote artists of the 50s — Jackie McLean, Lee Morgan, Louis Smith, Hank Mobley, Kenny Drew, Curtis Fuller, Sonny Stitt — combined with a deep influence from Colombian roots music. Released in October 2019 as a two-volume project: the first interpreting Jazz Standards, the second with original compositions by Juan.

Juan is a sideman for Alejandro Fernandez and his combo, and the Juan Benavides quartet, participating in numerous festivals including Jazz al Parque (multiple editions), the Villa de Leyva Festival, "La Mesa" Festival, and many others. Juan is currently coordinator of the Guitar emphasis and full-time professor at the Sergio Arboleda University, and also a professor at the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional in Colombia.

In addition to performing and composing, Juan immerses himself as a producer and developer of interdisciplinary audio-visual concepts under the artistic name AHUM. With this project he has worked as a producer for various renowned mainstream artists, and is currently immersed in a large-scale interdisciplinary project involving more than 20 artists: Santiago Sandoval, Juan Dhas, Brian Vasquez, Daniel Parra, Chika Toro, Daniela Cabrejo, among others.

Juan D Arango is a recognized cultural manager in Bogotá. In 2021, during the pandemic, he held an event together with the district within the "Es Cultura Local" initiative — a series of 7 recitals in the Metropolitan Park of the Country with more than 13 musicians on stage, plus the audiovisual production of 13 educational chapters. This project is called Música y Formación para las Orquídeas. He also carried out audiovisual work with El Cambuche, creating 10 educational chapters and performing in a recital alongside Mc. Épico.

Juan D Arango has been developing his career since 2005. He began at the Mauricio Cristancho music school (currently the Music faculty of Sergio Arboleda University), then studied Composition and Jazz Guitar at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. In July 2008 he traveled to Buenos Aires and graduated from the School of Contemporary Music (Ex-Berklee). In 2010 he was selected for the Jazz Guitar specialization at the Manuel de Falla Conservatory, receiving masterclasses from Ernesto Jodos, Marcelo Gutfraind, Juan Pablo Arredondo, Enrique Norris, Daniel Johansen, Valentín Reiners, Eloy Michellini, among others. In 2009 he took courses with jazz guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel.

In 2012 he released his debut album El Pelaguayo with Leonel Cejas (double bass), Francisco Cossavella (drums) and Juan Torres (tenor saxophone) — 9 original compositions and Chasin' the Trane. Since 2008 he has performed as a sideman for Juan Benavides, Juan Camilo Anzola, Pedro Acosta, Kike Harker, Edgar Marun, Gina Savino, and many others in Bogotá and Buenos Aires.

Recording

Interested in having me play on a recording? I have a well-equipped home studio with the best in microphones, software and plugins. .