My Sponsors

Sponsorship given on 2001

Richie Bonilla, Carlos Cano, Martin and Mathew Cohen

First endorsment 1998

Martin Cohen trasends Generations

From bata-drum devotionals to spicy-hot salsa, percussionist Celio Gonzalez Jr. plays a diverse range of musical styles. He began performing at a young age, sharing stages across Latin America with his father, Cuban singer Ceilo Gonzalez Sr. (whose performance credits have included working with Tito Puente and Johnny Pacheco).

Ceilo Jr. has gone on to perform with legendary Cuban bassist Israel "Cachao" Lopez, as well as with Celia Cruz, Francisco Cespedes, Sonora Matancera, Ricardo Arjona, and Aleks Syntek. Based in Mexico, Gonzalez appears frequently on that country's salsa TV channel, and can also be seen in live concert videos with mambo man Cachao. He is currently touring with Angelica Vale, a Mexican artist that is very famous and well respected in Mexico.

In addition to Gonzalez' musical parents (his mother was a singer, too), his earliest influence was Jose "Changuito" Quintana. His loyalty to LP instruments began on his sixth birthday, when his father gave him a set of LP Classic Congas. "The LP Conga has a unique sound. You hit it once and immediately feel the resonance," says Gonzalez, who adds that he especially likes the ease of playing afforded by the LP Comfort Curve II Rim. "The sound of these congas inspires my playing, and the comfort allows me freedom to play without pain. And aesthetically, they are beautiful."