Multi-Grammy Award winning drummer extraordinaire Horacio \"El Negro\" Hernandez, was awarded with an Honorary Doctor of Music Degree from Berklee College of Music yesterday (Thursday, July 15) in recognition of his extraordinary musicianship and many career achievements. The honorary degree was presented on the main stage of the Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia, Italy by Berklee\'s vice president, Larry Monroe.
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About Horacio \"El Negro\" Hernandez Horacio Hernandez has been the power behind the most popular and influential Latin music of the past decade.
The immense talent that \"El Negro\" possessed became evident early on in his musical life. At the age of twelve, he was accepted by the prestigious Escuela Nacional de Arte, where he majored in drums and percussion.
There \"El Negro\" studied with the finest Cuban teachers, including Fausto Garcia Rivera, himself a student of Laurence Stone and Henry Adler, Enrique Pla and Santiago Reiter.
Since leaving Cuba and arriving in New York, Horacio \"El Negro\" Hernandez has driven the efforts of Grammy Award-winners Eddie Palmieri, Michel Camilo, Carlos Santana, Alejandro Sanz, and Roy Hargrove. El Negro has also recorded with Chucho Valdes, Paquito D\'Rivera, Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Robbie Ameen, among others.
About Berklee College of Music Berklee, the world\'s largest college of music, was founded on two revolutionary ideas: that musicianship could be taught through the music of the time; and that their students needed practical, professional skills for successful, sustainable music careers.
Through the years, Berklee College of Music has presented doctorate degrees to many important figures who embodied the spirit of their mission, including luminaries such as Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, William \"Count\" Basie, Quincy Jones, Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, Tito Puente, Chick Corea, and many others.