Marel Hidalgo

Marel Hidalgo is a nine-year-old multi-instrumentalist from Bradley Beach, New Jersey. He began learning music at the age of four, under the instruction of guitar teacher Jerry Franklin at Big Beat Music Studio in Neptune City and within a few months, he had his first presentation as a guest of renowned, local reggae artist Tim P-Dub.

At the age of six, Marel formed his first band "Marel Hidalgo & Friends," a unique multicultural and multi-generational project that explored a wide variety of music genres, including classic rock, soul, blues, funk, reggae, country, bluegrass and Latin jazz. After his band’s debut in a packed local venue,  Marel started building a name in the Jersey Shore music scene. He continues performing in numerous festivals and venues in the tri-state area such as The New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, “Art All Night” and “The Levitt Amp Music Series” in Trenton, “South Mountain International Blues Festival” in West Orange, the “Camden Jam Arts and Music Festival” in Camden, the “Latino Festival and Downtown Freehold Series,” in Freehold Borough, the  “MAC Fest” in East Orange, Bar-A in Belmar and The Stone Pony and Wonder Bar in Asbury Park. Marel has also played at the The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music in New York and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. He is also a recipient of the 2015 "Tito Puente Award," presented to him at the “29th Annual Hispanic Youth Showcase” at the NJPAC in Newark, New Jersey. Marel has been featured in multiple newspaper articles and TV interviews and performances including The USA Today and The Harry Connick Jr. Talk Show