XAVIER PADILLA was born in Caracas, Venezuela. A bass player, composer and arranger he started in the late 70’s as a member of the award winning experimental group AUTANA, then cooperated with local groups such as Cuarteto de Música Creativa, Octano, Adrenalina Caribe, Salsa Silva y Guerra, la Típica Manía, Paraguas, Sangre Nueva and finally with the iconic national composer and conductor Aldemaro Romero. Xavier grew up inmersed in musical genres as diverse as Afro Venezuelan folk music, Cuban Son, Gaita, Salsa, Jazz, Fusion, Brazilian Folk and Pop, Free Jazz, Blues, Progressive Rock, Latin Jazz and Latin Pop. In the early years of his career he recorded in GUACO’s arranger (RICARDO HERNÁNDEZ) first solo album. By then he had already toured –at 21– with legendary « Queen of Salsa » CELIA CRUZ.
Aiming to expand his musical horizons, Xavier moved to Europe in 1988. A brief sojourn in Paris led him to a settle in Germany where he spent the next 5 years working professionally with different formations, joining the reputated salsa orchestra CONEXIÓN LATINA, which had the legendary NICKY MARRERO on timbales. That band played a great deal of jazz festivals throughout Europe. Then Xavier partcipate in various recordings with other artists, namely SENTA BERGER (the prolific Austrian actrice featured in early James Bond films), with Charles Mingus’s celebrated saxophonist CHARLIE MARIANO and reknown Belgian-Italian drummer BRUNO CASTELLUCCI (Premiata Forneria Marconi). There were also other projects and recordings, namely percussionist Brunin Von Alten’s Latin Jazz Sunrise Orchestra, Colombian composer-arranger Francisco Zumaqué various recordings, acid rock German group Dunkelziffer and pianist-composer Georg Pommer. Xavier eventually joined the Circus Roncalli Orchestra, until moving to Athens, Greece, in 1994.
Once in the historical cradle of Western civilization, Xavier Padilla started touring and recording with Platinum selling rock group PIX-LAX. Simultaneously, he toured and recorded (two albums) with Greek singer-composer NIKOS PIPINELES, and did sessions for the very popular singer VASILIS KARRAS. Xavier very soon got involved in the Athenian Jazz and pop scene, forming the PALETTE TRIO and playing on PANDELIS BENETATOS’s TRIO, as well as freelancing among prominent Greek musicians as GIORGOS KONTRAFOURIS, VASILIS SALTIKIS, JOHNNY PAPADOPOULOS, IANNIS STAVROPOULOS, STRATOS VOUGAS, JEAN-PIERRE GAlÉPIDÈS, NIKOS KAPILIDIS, MANDO STAMATOPOULOU, KOSTAS BALTAZANIS, SPYROS PANAGIOTOPOULOS, TAKIS PATERELIS, PETROS KOURTIS, DIMITRIS TSAKAS, YIOTIS SAMARAS and SERAFIM BELOS, among others. He also played with the popular Latin group HASTA BANANA, by KAROLOS KAKARAS and GORGES MANDREKAS, and traveled with the Greek bouzouki master player THANASIS POLIKANDRIOTIS in representation of Greece at the Rotterdam Folk Festival in Holland.
After 5 intense musical years in Greece, Xavier moved back to France, settling for good in Paris in 1997. There soon started playing and recording with Venezuelan pianist-composer FRANKLIN LOZADA and his MADRUGADA FELIZ, and joined ORLANDO POLEO’s group CHAWORO, for extensive touring in France, Africa, Great Britain, Venezuela, Turkey and Tahiti, besides recording, composing-arranging for that group as well. Simultanously, Xavier performed live, recorded and arranged music for ALFREDO « CUTUFLÁ » FRANCHESKI and his CHARANGA NUEVA, and gigged randomly with CAMILO AZUQUITA, YURI BUENAVENTURA, MARIO CANONGE, FRANKLIN VELOZ and AFRICANDO, among others.
In 2001 THE GIPSY KINGS invited Xavier to fill in the bass spot, which lead to an intense stint of writing and world touring with the internationally acclaimed group. He authored one of the most prized ballads they ever recorded, « Como Siento Yo », which Nicolas Reyes, lead singer of the band uses present as his « favorite song ».
Alternatively to THE GIPSY KINGS and all others artists above mentioned, Xavier either arranged, recorded or performed with other international names such as BERNARD LAVILLIERS, GAROU, TITO PUENTES, PATATO VALDÉS, MIGUEL « ANGÁ » DÍAZ, LUISITO QUINTERO, MININO GARAY, KARIM ZIAD, DANY BRILLANT, JULIA MIGENES, TITO ALLEN, MARCIA MARIA, MARIO CANONGE, JULIEN LOURAU, TATO MARENCO, MARIO REGIS, JEFF GARDNER, ALFREDO RODRÍGUEZ, TRIANA D’ALGER, MARIO REYES, MOKRANE ACHEWIQ, MALIK KERROUCHE, DANIEL STAVINSKY, MICKI MURPHY, MALIK BELLILI, FABRICE DELDONGO, SAMIRA BRAHMIA and French progressive rock group TAÏ PHONG. Xavier co-produced as MD with Miles Copeland (STING’S former manager-producer) a recording of the group GIPSY ROYALE.
Currently Xavier Padilla leads his own group GIPSY 4 EVER.
WORLD VENUES
Radio City Music Hall, New York, USA, 2003, 2004, 2005
Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
Wolf Trap, Vienna, Virgina, Washington D.C., USA, 2002, 2004, 2005
Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Denver, Colorado, USA, 2003, 2004
Greek Theatre, Berkeley, California, USA, 2002, 2003, 2004
Chicago Theatre, Chicago, Illinois, USA, 2002, 2003, 2004
Santa Barbara County Bowl, Santa Barbara, CA, USA, 2002, 2004
Mann Center for Performing Arts, Philadelphia, Pen., USA, 2004, 2005
Princess Diana’s Family Château, Northampton, UK, 2005
Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, 2004
Niagara Fallsview Casino, Niagra Falls, Canada, 2011
Summer Nights at the Pier, Seattle, Washington, USA, 2004
Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga, California, USA , 2004
Opera San Petersburg, Russia, 2003
Mizner Park, Boca Raton, Florida, USA, 2003, 2005
Molson Amphitheatre, Toronto, Canada, 2002
Westbury Music Fair, Westbury, New York, USA, 2002, 2003
Foxwoods Casino, Mashantucket, CT, USA, 2005
Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery, Washington, USA, 2002, 2005
Midtown Music Festival, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 2003
Fleet Boston Pavilion, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 2003, 2004
Kenwood House, London, England, UK, 2004
NTELOS Pavillion, Harbor Center, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA, 2003
Hammerstein Ballroom, New York City, USA, 2003
Chastain Park Amphitheatre, Atlanta, USA, 2002, 2005
Mountain Winery, Saratoga, California, USA, 2002, 2003, 2005
Journal Pavillion, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, 2002
Dodge Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona, USA, 2002, 2003
Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Ft. Myers, Florida, USA, 2003
The Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, New Jersey, USA, 2003
Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA, 2003
Orlando House of Blues, Orlando, Florida, USA, 2003
Saenger Theatre, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, 2003
Majestic Theatre, San Antonio, Texas, USA, 2003, 2005
The Backyard, Austin, Texas, USA, 2003
Grove Theatre, Anaheim, California, USA, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, 2003
Casino del Sol Anselmo Val. Tori Amph., Tucson, AZ, USA, 2003, 2005
Nissan Pavillion, Bristow, Virginia, USA, 2003
United Islands of Prague, Czech Replublic, USA, 2004
North Fork Theatre, Westbury, NY, USA, 2005
Budapest Opera Theatre, Budapest, Hungary, 2004
Bank of America Pavillion, Boston, MA, USA, 2005
Pier Six Concert Pavillion, Baltimore, MD, USA, 2005
House of Blues, Toronto, ON, Canada, USA, 2007
Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, USA, 2007
Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Tampa, FL, USA, 2006
Dodge Arena, Hidalgo, TX, USA, 2005
Bass Performance Hall, Ft. Worth, TX, USA, 2005
Performing Arts Center, Austin, TX, USA, 2007
Jones Hall for Performing Arts, Houston, TX, 2007
Hampton Court Festival, East Molesey, Surrey, UK, 2005
Roots Festival Concert Building, Amsterdam, Holanda, 2005
Dyrham Park, Nr. Bath, UK, 2003
The Point, Dublin, Irlanda, 2005
Charlecote Park, Nr. Stratford, UK, 2009
Oregon Zoo Amphitheater, Portland, OR, USA, 2006
Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, Santa Rosa, CA, USA, 2008
Chumash Casino, Santa Ynez, CA, USA, 2004
The Showgrounds, Cork, Irlanda, 2007
Sandia Casino Amphitheatre, Albuquerque, NM, USA, 2004, 2012
Viejas Casino, Alpine, CA (San Diego), USA, 2004, 2005
Green Valley Ranch, Henderson, NV (Las Vegas), USA, 2007
The Santa Fe Opera, Santa Fe, NM, USA, 2010
Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver, CO, USA, 2010
Ravinia Pavilion, Chicago, IL, USA, 2011
State Theater, Minneapolis, MN, USA, 2011
Kremlin Palace, Red Square of Moscu, Russia, 2003
(etc…)
FESTIVALS
Festival Jazz im Zemtrum, Germany, 30/04/1990
Drum Jazz Festival, Holland, 09/08/1990
Wissen International Jazz Festival, Germany, 1990
Crete Jazz festival, Greece, 1995
Saint-Louis Jazz Festival, Senegal, 10/05/1997
Festival Tempo Latino, Vic-Fezensac, France, 27/07/1997
Festival Jazz Chatellerault, France, 15/05/1998
Festival Internationale di Musica, Roma, Italia, 26/06/1998
Festival de Thau/Méze, France, 18/07/1998
Dunhill International Jazz Festival, Abidjan, Ivory Coast, 18/03/1999
Casa Latina Festival at Jazz Cafe, London, England, 11/07/2000
Megéve 12me Jazz Festival, France, 13/08/1999
Jazz in Marciac, France, 1998/ 1999/ 2001
Muzillac 98, France, 22/08/1998
Jazz sur Son 31, France, 17/10/1998
Jazz en Touraine 98, France, 17/09/1998
La Villette Rythmes Caraibes, Paris, France, 31/05/1998
Festival Latino Americano di Milano, Milan, Italy, 26/06/1998
Festival Chalons-en Champagne, France, 20/07/2001
Tahiti Festival Jazz, French Polynesia, 15/04/2000
Nice Jazz Festival, Nice, France, 22/07/2001
Royal Hall Festival, London, England, 26/09/1999
Festival Musiks à Manosque, Manosque, France, 24/07/1998
Midem Monaco 99, Monaco, 24/01/1999
Jazz à Colombes, Île-de-France, France, 13/05/2000
Harbor Fest, Hong Kong, 2003
Jazz à Vannes, France, 25/07/1998
(etc…)