April 2007

Alex Acuna

(April 13, 2007)

Alex Acuña grew up with percussion, and in some ways the world of percussion has grown with Alex Acuña. Born Alejandro Acuña on Dec. 12, 1944, in Pativilca, Peru, Acuña was part of a musical family – his father and all five brothers were musicians. Acuña began teaching himself the drums at age 4 and he was playing in local bands by the age of 10. As a teenager he moved to Lima, and with a reputation already developing, he joined the band of notable Latin musician Perez Prado at age 18. In 1967, Acuña moved to Puerto Rico to work as a studio musician and to study for three years at the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music.

Tim "Herb" Alexander

(April 13, 2007)

Cherry Point, N.C., has seen its share of jets ascend from its famed Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station. It also was the launching pad of a soaring percussion career as the hometown of Primus rocker Tim Alexander, who was born in that city on April 10, 1965. Alexander says he was inspired to become a drummer by the work of Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham and Rush drummer Neil Peart. But as his most noted band’s name might suggest, Alexander’s style is often a more primal beat, seemingly derived from African influences.