Kike Banquez

Kike Banquez is a woodwind player, composer, arranger and producer from Colombia, Based in USA.

He started studying music at the age of 11 in his hometown Turbaco, with the great master Remberto"El Pollo" Sotomayor, who taught him the clarinet fundamentals and music theory, he also took woodwind workshops with the great colombian saxophonists Osmar Cañate and Julio Arnedo when they used to visit his hometown.

In 2001 he moved to Bogota, the capital of Colombia. From this point on, he continues improving his musical skills, as a self taught and on his own pace.
While living in Bogota he performed with the best local musicians of traditional music and had the great opportunity to perform alongside with the great colombian traditional singer Totó La Momposina with whom he performed for almost 5 years.

In 2009 during a USA tour with Totó La Momposina, he took the decision of staying in USA to pursuit his goal of studying at Berklee College Of Music, from where in 2023 he achieved a professional certificate in general music studies, after completing music production with David Mash and Michael Bierylo, basic improvisation with Edward Tomassi, Jazz improvisation with Gury Burton and keyboard with Ross Ramsay, he has also taken master classes with some renowned musicians such as Ricardo Morales (Clarinet), Jeffrey Khaner (Flute) and Eric Marienthal (Saxophone)...