ROWAN JIMÉNEZ 1969-2019
It is with a heavy heart that I share the news that my dear friend Rowan Jiménez passed on Dec 19, 2019. I’m sure that this will come as a shock to some (because we all thought that his indomitable energy and love of life would propel him through this difficult time) but there is comfort in the fact, that in his final moments, he was surrounded by love and music.
Rowan and I have been friends for over 25 years, and most recently, our work as musical partners in Guarandinga has brought about an unrivaled closeness, mutual admiration, respect and love. He is my brother and a guiding light of positivity, para siempre. En paz descanses, hermano mio.
I have so much to say and share about my love for this man, but I’m numb, emotionally raw and at a loss for words. Despite that, please feel free to contact me privately about how to best pay respect, so we can give space to the family as they grieve this terrible loss. In the coming days/weeks, I’ll have more information to share about plans to celebrate his life.
We always think that we have more time, but in the end, we are not guaranteed tomorrow. And as Rowan says, “live your life with reckless abandon, is the only one you got!” One love. - Jeremy 📷 Andrea Kash
“Rowan “Roc’D” Jimenez has always been a one-man party. In this new sonic journey, Jimenez joined forces with bassist-producer Jeremy “Musiquito” Allen. Guarandinga by extension is a guaranteed fiestón with roots, abandon, and a positive message of unity to boot! The new material is crackin’ . . .”
LATIN AFRO·POP OAKLAND > CA
Guarandinga is Oakland, California’s latest sonic awakening led by singer/lyricist Rowan "Roc'D" Jiménez and bassist/producer Jeremy "Musiquito" Allen. Their unconventional music weaves heavy Afro-Caribbean beats fueled by folklore, pop, and gritty East Bay funk. This creates the perfect platform for the Spanish & English wordplay of Jiménez’s soulful lyrics. Jiménez received notoriety as founder and lead vocalist for the Bay Area's Latin alternative band OriXa, which received a California Music Award for "Outstanding Latin Album" "MTVes Buzzworthy" for the Siembra video and the ASCAP Latino Award for "Best Independent Group”.
“Jimenez and Allen have develop a dance-inducing sound they call Latin Afro pop, inspired by everything from hip hop, funk and Afro-Beat but grounded in rhythmic components from central coast Venezuelan music.”
Rowan "Roc'D" Jiménez and Jeremy "Musiquito" Allen created Guarandinga as an even more adventurous excursion where the spark plugs have surrounded themselves with high voltage musicianship! Guitarist Chris Carter (Bayonics) help to ignite Guarandinga’s multidimensional music. And it all combust as on stage they feature Afro-Cuban Jazz Cartel leader Brian Andres, who shares the drum chair with Fantastic Negrito’s James "Sticknasty" Small. They take inspiration from across the musical spectrum; their influences range from recognizable artists (Yerba Buena, Bomba Stereo, Anti Balas, SideStepper).
“Guarandinga had the audience on fire! From the first song, people were dancing and swaying in their seats. It was an unforgettable night!”
Guarandinga is :
Rowan Jiménez - vocals, percussion, cuatro
Jeremy Allen - bass, vocals, cuatro, percussion
Featured performers:
Chris Carter - guitar
Kenya Moses
Femi Andrades
Brian Andres - drums
James "Sticknasty" Small - drums
Christian Pepin
Henry Hung - trumpet/synth
Cava Menzies - keyboards, vocals
Bob Crawford
Makini Duewa - dance