Jimmy Biala is a music educator and performer, with a strong passion for the style of Brazilian music known as escola de samba. Jimmy teaches Brazilian and Afro-Cuban percussion music programs to youth and adult students in the South Bay.Jimmy Biala is a faculty member of the California Brazil Camp and San Jose Jazz Summer Education Camp, and performs regularly with Lewis Jordan’s Music At Large, the InterTribal Ensemble directed by John-Carlos Perea, and the James Robinson Ensemble. He has performed in China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Germany, France, Canada, and the United States. In 1997, Jimmy received an award from DownBeat Magazine for excellence in jazz recording and performance. He was the recipient of a 2002 Artist in Communities Grant from the California Arts Council and a Meet the Composer commission grant in 2004. In 2013, Jimmy was given a Certificate of Recognition by the California State Legislature Assembly for unwavering commitment and outstanding service, exemplified by his work with the students of California. Jimmy travels to Brazil every two years to study with master teachers in Rio de Janeiro and continues his learning and artistic development with master artists in the United States.
