Jorge Reyes was a Mexicanambient electronic musician who incorporated elements of his native Mexican culture into his music. He performed as the member of several groups and collaborations and as a solo artist. The Mexican Reyes should not be confused with the Cuban bassist Jorge Reyes, the Cuban author Jorge Ivan Reyes, the Brooklyn television writer Jorge A. Reyes, or the Oregon baseball player Jorge Reyes.
History
Reyes was born on September 24, 1952, in Uruapan, Michoacán, Mexico with the name Jorge Reyes Valencia. He was not a Native Mexican, but played many Prehispanic instruments to which he was exposed from an early age in his village. Reyes attended the National School of Music, Mexico 1970–1975, studying the flute. During this time, he formed two seminal Mexican rock bands, Al Universo and Nuevo México, influenced by Jethro Tull and Pink Floyd but incorporating native musical instruments. In 1976, his growing interest in jazz led to spending a year in Hamburg, Germany, where he studied improvisation with Herb Geller. As part of this training, he traveled through Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka. In 1978, he attended a Hindu music course in the Himalayas, in which he studied traditional Indian flute and percussion techniques. On these overseas trips, he began collecting many native instruments. After returning to Mexico, Reyes founded the band Chac Mool with drummer Armando Suárez and keyboardist Carlos Alvarado, which was one of the first Mexican progressive rock bands. The band recorded four well-received albums, on which Reyes played flute and guitar, before disbanding. In 1985, Reyes began a prolific solo career. He collaborated with several other new-age and electronic musicians, including American synthesist Steve Roach, Mexican singer and multi-instrumentalist Arturo Meza, Spanish guitarist Suso Saiz, Mexican percussionist Juan Carlos López, German synthesist Elmar Schulte, Deep Forest, and others. His music was used frequently in Mexican radio and television programs. He performed many concerts at famous Mexican archeological sites such as Malinalco, Teotihuacan, Templo Mayor, Chichen Itza, and Tenango del Valle. His annual Día de los Muertos concerts at UNAM were popular events. He also gave many concerts at the Espacio Escultórico de Ciudad Universitaria, where he collaborated with dancer and choreographer Regina Quintero. Reyes died from a heart attack at his recording studio in Mexico City on Saturday February 7, 2009. He was 56 years old. He had three children—Citlalli, Ridwan, and Erendira.
