The ensemble
What happens when classical training meets Latin American passion? When six musicians from six countries weave their individual stories into a collective sound?
The Pipos.
We are not a typical band. We are composers, improvisers, boundary breakers. Each of us has years of training behind us—from the Amadeo Roldán University in Havana to the Cologne University of Music to Codarts Rotterdam. But our true strength does not lie in our individual CVs. It lies in what happens between us. In improvisation. In collective breathing. In mutual trust.
Claudia Ramos Barreto
Vocals / Violin
Claudia Ramos Barreto grew up in a family of musicians in Havana, Cuba. In 2008, she began her training in classical music as a violinist at the Paulita Concepción School. Some time later, she discovered jazz singing. This was followed by numerous performances, including a permanent engagement at the renowned Jazz Café. In 2018, she completed her studies at the Amadeo Roldán Conservatory. She was a singer in the Coro Polifónico de La Habana. In 2020, she was a member of the young women's vocal quartet Quadrigales. She currently lives in Cologne and is a singer with the Benedikt Hesse Trio as well as a violinist and singer with Los Pipos.
Geo del Valle Miranda
Trumpet / Flugelhorn / Valve trombone
Mexican trumpeter Geo del Valle began studying music at the age of 8 under the guidance of his father (a trombonist). Before completing his studies at FAM – UNAM (Mexico), he was accepted at the Cologne University of Music and Dance (Germany) to finish his studies.Geo plays various styles of music and works as a freelancer in Germany and Europe. He has experience in various orchestras such as: Orquesta del teatro de Bellas Artes, OFUNAM, Klassische Philharmonie Bonn, Kammerphilharmonie Rhein-Erft. He has also accompanied pop singers such as Lila Downs and Kike Neira. Throughout his musical career, he has performed on various stages, including the Berlin Konzerthaus, the Jazz Schmiede, the North Sea Jazz Festival, the Palacio de Bellas Artes, the Düsseldorf Festival, the Auditorio Nacional, the Cologne Philharmonic, and many others. He currently plays in the "Neue Rheinische Kammer Orchester," teaches trumpet at the music school in Düren (Germany), and leads trumpet courses in Mexico. Geo is the trumpeter of the Latin jazz ensemble "Los Pipos," with whom he recorded his first studio CD, "HILOS." Perseverance is a key trait that he uses for his growth and that inspires him every day to keep going and share his music.
Philip Kukulies
Percussion Set-Up (Baticonga)
Born in Düsseldorf, drummer Philip Kukulies first came into contact with drums at the age of 6 through his father Thomas Kukulies, drummer and founder of the band "Salsa Picante." He studied with various drummers/percussionists such as Yeismel Grandal, Betún Valdes, Tomas "el Panga" Ramos, Nils Fischer, Adel González, Juan Carlos "el Peje" Rojas, Udo Demandt, Iuri Passos, and others. He specialized in Latin percussion and received his Bachelor of Music (Cum Laude) from the Codarts Conservatory in Rotterdam (Netherlands) in 2019. During his studies, he was awarded the Holland Scholarship and completed a six-month exchange in Salvador da Bahia (Brazil). In his professional career, his musical activity in recent years is particularly noteworthy, during which he has performed numerous times with various groups such as Salsa Picante, Colektivo, Codaku, Son de Aquí, Leonardo Prieto Ensemble, Vientos del Sur, and Los Pipos. In 2022, Philip went on a tour of Mexico with the groups Leonardo Prieto Ensemble and Son De Aquí, giving concerts throughout the country. In addition, the percussionist has already collaborated with world-renowned choreographer Jean Sasportes on the dance project "Scenes from Chaos." Philip has performed at renowned international festivals, including the North Sea Jazz Festival, the Düren Jazz Festival, the Afro Latino Festival (Belgium), Zwarte Cross (Netherlands), Días Latinos (Netherlands), Düsseldorf Festival!, De Doelen Rotterdam, Biblioteca Vasconcelos (Mexico City), and Los Pinos (Mexico City).
Junior Cesar Sarracent
bass
Classical guitar meets Cuban joie de vivre: Juniors Cesar Sarracent feels two hearts beating in his chest. Born in Havana, Cuba, in 1988, he fell in love with his instrument at an early age. He began his musical training at the age of eight. His teacher, Roberto Kessel, accompanied him through his apprenticeship at the renowned Paulita Concepción Music School in Havana. Junior Sarracent completed his academic training as a chamber music teacher at the Amadeo Roldán Conservatory in 2006. In 2010, he graduated with top marks in classical guitar and popular music from the Instituto Superior de Arte de la Habana and won first prize in the "Isaac Nicola" guitar competition (Ira Edición). The scholarship that came with this award brought him to Germany to continue his studies, including in Düsseldorf as a master student in Professor Joaquin Clerch's class. In 2017, he received his concert exam with top marks – for his German orchestra debut, he was selected to perform as a soloist with the Neue Philharmonie Westfalen. Due to his artistic diversity, he was also invited by the Robert Schumann University of Music in Düsseldorf in 2018 to teach South American folklore and has been a lecturer there ever since. In addition to his academic and artistic training in classical music, the traditional music of his homeland plays an important role for Sarracent. He pursues this great love in numerous bands and projects, such as the international band Los Pipos, and is an active and respected member of the nationwide music scene. His almost unbridled passion for music and the great joy he takes in playing are always at the forefront. Whether as a solo guitarist in the classical field or as a multi-instrumentalist in his bands, at concerts, sessions, or spontaneous situations in which the thoroughbred musician is overcome—it is always thrilling when Junior Cesar Sarracent plays music.
Ramón Mendeville
Vocals / Percussion
Chilean-Dutch Ramon Mendeville began making music at a young age. Over the years, he gained experience with a variety of genres and instruments, which shaped him into the musician, singer, and producer he is today. Latin, hip-hop, jazz, and pop are important components of his musical background, and he combines elements of these genres in his music. After completing his bachelor's degree in Latin singing at the Rotterdam Conservatory in 2016, he devoted himself entirely to making music, touring, and producing. He has toured with projects by Lucas van Merwijk, Gerardo Rosales, Drumdrumdrum, and his band "Modji," among others. Over the past six years, Germany has become his second home, as he plays an important role as frontman/songwriter/percussionist for the Germany-based Latin jazz band "Los Pipos." In addition to performing together, Ramon is actively involved in the composition and production of their new music. They recently recorded a video clip together for a new original composition called "La Selva." He has also been touring German theaters as lead singer with Lucas van Merwijk's "Latin Devils" since 2019. Ramon currently spends most of his time in his studio and regularly releases new music on Spotify, among other platforms.
Enrique Delgado
Piano / Keyboard
Enrique Delgado Maguiña, born in Lima, Peru, in 1998, began playing the piano at the age of 10. However, music had been a part of his life since early childhood. After graduating from the German school in Lima, he decided to move to Germany to study music. At Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, he was taught by outstanding pianists from the jazz scene, including Florian Weber, Lars Dupler, and Thomas Rückert. They accompanied him in his training and deepening of his knowledge of jazz language, as well as in the development of his own sound. In 2022, he completed his music studies with very good grades thanks to the support of a DAAD scholarship. Since 2019, the young (Latin) jazz pianist has been active in the German music scene, either with his own trio or as a band member of various formations such as Rayen (South American folklore jazz) or Los Pipos (Latin jazz band). His projects have taken him to many stages in the Westphalia region, including Theater Münster, Bunker Bielefeld, and Blue Note Osnabrück.