Walfredo de los Reyes

Walfredo Reyes Jr. (born Walfredo de los Reyes Palau IV; December 18, 1955) is a Cuban American musician who is an expert in drum set and auxiliary percussion, and a music educator and clinician. He has performed with many jazz, Latin, World music, World fusion, Afro-Cuban, and rock bands as a touring, session recording, and full-time player/performer.

Reyes is known for his fusion of many of the world's percussion techniques, including the ability to play a drum set with his hands in addition to the traditional use of drumsticks; it was said that he can "sound like a drummer and a percussionist at the same time" He was a member of Santana and joined Chicago as the percussionist from 2012 to 2018, at which point he took over the drum seat. He also performed in the band of former Nazareth guitarist Manny Charlton. Reyes is the title character of the Phish song "Walfredo".

Birth and Death Data: Born Havana (capital and largest city of Cuba)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1937 - 1949

Roles Represented in DAHR: trumpet, vocalist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-010934 10-in. 6/17/1937 Ojos malvados Orquesta Casino de la Playa ; Walfredo de los Reyes Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist  
Victor BS-021967 10-in. between 4/1/1938 and 4/11/1938 Loco de amor Orquesta Casino de la Playa ; Walfredo de los Reyes Dubbed recording : Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist  
Victor BS-033865 10-in. before 2/27/1939 Letargo Orquesta Casino de la Playa ; Guillermo Portela ; Walfredo de los Reyes Re-recording : Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and violin solo vocalist  
Victor D5XB-0016 10-in. 1/4/1945 Acabaste Octavio Mendoza ; Orquesta Sacasas Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D5XB-0149 10-in. 3/16/1945 Sol tropical Octavio Mendoza ; Orquesta Sacasas Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D5XB-0150 10-in. 3/16/1945 Pa' lo pollo mai Octavio Mendoza ; Sacasas Havana Madrid Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D5XB-0151 10-in. 3/16/1945 Si tu me llevas te llevo Octavio Mendoza ; Orquesta Sacasas Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D5XB-0410 10-in. 6/13/1945 Me vacilón Octavio Mendoza ; Orquesta Sacasas Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D5XB-0411 10-in. 6/13/1945 Pronto José Octavio Mendoza ; Orquesta Sacasas Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D5XB-0412 10-in. 6/13/1945 La ruñidera Octavio Mendoza ; Orquesta Sacasas Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D5XB-0413 10-in. 6/13/1945 Capullito de Aleli Orquesta Sacasas Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D6XB-1328 10-in. 3/8/1946 Guardo un recuerdo Orquesta Sacasas ; Walfredo de los Reyes Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist  
Victor D6XB-2561 10-in. 7/31/1946 Facundo Myrta Silva Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D6XB-2562 10-in. 7/31/1946 En el golpe de cintura Myrta Silva Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D6XB-2563 10-in. 7/31/1946 Esto es lo último Myrta Silva Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D6XB-2564 10-in. 7/31/1946 Camina como chencha la gamba Myrta Silva Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D6XB-2627 10-in. 8/8/1946 Sere de ti, seras de mi Myrta Silva Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D6XB-2628 10-in. 8/8/1946 Así es la vida Myrta Silva Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D6XB-2629 10-in. 8/8/1946 Incomprensión Myrta Silva Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D6XB-2630 10-in. 8/8/1946 Por qué será? Myrta Silva Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D9FB-2352 10-in. 10/5/1949 In the hall of the mambo king Orquesta Anselmo Sacasas Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D9FB-2353 10-in. 10/5/1949 Guararé Orquesta Anselmo Sacasas Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D9FB-2354 10-in. 10/5/1949 Opus 13 Rubén González ; Orquesta Anselmo Sacasas Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D9FB-2355 10-in. 10/5/1949 B flat Mambo Orquesta Anselmo Sacasas Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor CU-584 10-in. before 9/13/1940 No hace falta decirlo Orquesta Casino de la Playa ; Walfredo de los Reyes Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Reyes, Walfredo de los," accessed January 4, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103417.

Reyes, Walfredo de los. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 4, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103417.

"Reyes, Walfredo de los." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 4 January 2026.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103417

External Sources

Wikipedia: Walfredo de los Reyes

Discogs: Walfredo de los Reyes

Allmusic: Walfredo de los Reyes

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: Reyes, Walfredo de los - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n81148230

Wikidata: Walfredo de los Reyes - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q16186861

VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/310682829

MusicBrainz: Walfredo de los Reyes, Jr. - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/1de395a1-43b3-4d62-8809-942113d84c15

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