Luis Muñoz - composer, arranger, producer and percussionist, was born in San José, Costa Rica. In 1972 Luis entered the University of Costa Rica and the National Music Conservatory, where he studied both Architecture and Music. In 1974 Luis completed his degree in music composition at the University of California, Santa Barbara, under the tutelage of renowned British composer Peter Fricker.
Luis Muñoz has written music for documentaries, animation films, dance and theater, and has performed in some of the best Jazz festivals and venues in the world. He has released numerous CDs as a leader, all of them receiving the acclaim of the music media worldwide: 4 stars by DownBeat magazine, "Best Latin Jazz CD of the Year" by Jazzreview.com, "A truly Monumental Work" by Americas Magazine, "A Masterpiece" by Mark Holston /Hispanic Magazine, Top 10 Jazz CDs of the Year by JazzChicago.net, "Top 5 CDs of the Year” by Felix Contreras, NPR, etc.
Muñoz won an ACAM award in 2006 for "Jazz Producer/Composer of the Year" with his "VIDA" CD, and another one in 2010 with his "INVISIBLE" CD. In 2014 he was the recipient of a Belle Foundation Grant, and recorded a new CD in New York, in collaboration with 4 of the greatest Jazz singers of their generation: Claudia Acuña (Chile), Magos Herrera (México), Lois Mahalia (Guyana) and Téka Penteriche Brazil. The CD will be released in 2015 followed by a world tour.
"In my 40 plus year career as a drummer, I have never heard better sounding drums than Yamaha. I am hoping to play them for at least 40 more years."
— Luis Munoz
