Siren - Protectors of the Rainforest

BIOS of Performers

William Ruiz: Taino tongue drummer and tribal percussionist. His first encounter with the street audience was in January, 2001 when he pulled out his marimba and started rehearsing for a gig. With his serious demeanor and tranquil absorption in his instrument, he never realized that he had already built a crowd. When he raised his head and realized that not only were people dancing to the music but they had started throwing money. He was hooked. He teamed up with Russell Donellon and they would play at the Central Park Boat house for hours on end but when Mayor Guilliani started a break down on street performers, Mr. Ruiz started to look for other means of elevating the spirits of New Yorkers. He auditioned and became a member of Music Under New York and has been performing with their permit since. Currently Mr. Ruiz is a judge for new acts and performers for Music Under New York.

This amazing Taino tribal percussionist has been interviewed by Noticias, Telemundo, CNN International news representing the Indigenous People’s Forum, Good Morning America, to name a few and is considered “the Best of the Best” by the Village Voice two years in a row. Mr. Ruiz has also released to the public three albums namely, “In New York”, “Cipriani”, & “Itanyesha”. He joined Siren – Protectors of the Rainforest to lend his musical expertise to this tribal dance and rhythm group. Together they plan on using their international mélange of tribal music to elevate, de-stress and entertain New Yorkers.

Tiga Jean-Baptiste: is a multi-talented and accomplished young Haitian musician. Born into a family deeply-rooted in traditional Haitian artistic expression, Tiga is continuing his family legacy, while simultaneously reaching out to embrace other cultures. Tiga began drumming at his father side at the age of three. He also accompanied Bonga on his travels throughout the Haitian countryside, learning many different regional drumming styles. While still in his early teens, Tiga also began studying music with Thurgot Theodat, a Haitian jazz saxophonist. Tiga quickly learned circular breathing techniques from Thurgot, which not only enhanced his playing of traditional Haitian bamboo & tin wind instruments (called Vaksinn and Kone) but also led Tiga to Australian Didjeridoo, another instrument he has now mastered. Tiga’s musical journey has also led him to the Shona Mbira from Zimbabwe. Within a few short years of picking up the instrument, Tiga has already gone on to perform with two of Zimbabwes biggest exponents of Mbira-based music: Thomas Mapfumo and Stella Chiweshe. In his short but already illustrious music career, Tiga has toured Miami with Grace Jones in a duo live performances, and toured Japan with the Tet Kale Orchestra. On the Haitian music scene, Tiga has performed and recorded with many of Haitias finest, including Bonga, Emeline Michel, famed Haitian dancer/choreographer Jean-Leon Destine, Haitian jazz groups Buyu Ambroise & the Blues in Red Band and Mozayik, and avant-garde guitarist Jean-Paul Bourelly. James Tiga Jean-Baptiste is a uniquely talented Haitian artist whose star is surely rising

Jojo Kuo Joseph “JoJo” Kuo is a much-sought-after musician and producer who is known globally for his extraordinary drumming talent. No Kelen Kelen (Cameroonian term for no deception), was conceived around the time of the opening of the Disney Animal Kingdom theme park, where JoJo was the resident African band and special events leader, in 1999. This album was a long time in the making, and the diverse backgrounds of the musicians give it the spirit of a tapestry. No Kelen Kelen features vocals by Chet Samuel (Burning Spear), Sisaundra Lewis (Cirque du Soleil’s “La Nuba”), Michelle Amato (Yanni), and notable studio musicians Rohan Reid (Najee), Charlie DeChant (Hall & Oates), Martino Atangana (Tchokola w/Jean-Luc Ponty), Bakithi Kumalo (Paul Simon) and others. JoJo has performed and produced around the world with such acts as Manu Dibango, Fela, Herbie Hancock, Peter Gabriel, Papa Wemba, Mory Kante, Salif Keita, Soukous Stars, Sam Fan Thomas, Harry Belafonte, The Gypsy Kings, Herhan Romero, Al Dimeola, Venisius, and Richard Bona, among others. He has been directly involved with a number of the major hits from Africa that attained worldwide acceptance most notably Mory Kante’s “Yeke Yeke”, a massive dance hit which sold over a million records, an amazing feat for an early World Beat production. JoJo is also featured on the Disney/ABC Special "Tapestry from Round the World,” which was produced to commemorate the millennium celebrations in 2000.

Jay Rodriguez. Prolific. Prodigal. Profound. That is Jay Rodriguez. Sometimes the sound is explosive, wild and full of fury, other times his music aches with a passion that’s painful and bare. Always modest and reverent, Rodriguez harnesses the unbridled audacity of youth and melds it with the uncanny discipline of a hardened New York jazz