about

Born and raised in Lima, Peru, Raúl Abbad Huaman is an eclectic guitarist and composer based in the NYC Metropolitan Area. Raul’s original music is a reflection of his heritage; a fusion of traditional South American Folkloric music, world music, and the modern sounds of American jazz and rock. Raul grew up listening to his mother’s records of the traditional Peruvian guitarist Raul Garcia Zarate which became a source of inspiration to him. This led him to seek out Garcia Zarate as a guitar teacher and study with him. After moving to the US, Raul studied music education, classical guitar under Dennis Cinelli, jazz guitar under Stephen Benson and composition at Montclair State University under Fred Cohen.

Raul’s background in Peruvian and classical guitar was a jumping off point for exploring electric guitar, extended range guitars, mandolin, charango, electric bass, and keyboards. Over his career, he has developed a specialty in Peruvian music which includes a variety of diverse styles such as Afro-Peruvian, Coastal Creole, Andean, and Amazonian music. However, his musical lexicon expands beyond Peru to classical, jazz, rock, and other South American traditions. Raul’s unique gift is navigating and mixing these diverse musical styles with ease and authenticity.  Raul interprets and presents these styles in a progressive light, always leaving his own unique mark on the music. 

Raul has worked on a variety of projects, including commissions for the New Jersey Youth Symphony, New Jersey Guitar and Music Society, and the Colonial Symphony. He is the songwriter and producer for a variety of artists, including LaFolie Austral, an indie-rock-en-Español project. He is the guitarist and composer for Bajopontino, a South American and Afro Peruvian jazz quartet. Raul has also performed regularly with Iraida Valdivia, acclaimed traditional Peruvian singer, including several broadcasts on Peruvian television with her. He also performs regularly with bassist Justin Lee in the NJ/NY metropolitan area. Raul served as the musical director for the Bloomfield Mandolin Orchestra for two seasons. When Raul is not composing and performing, you can find him teaching guitar and music technology at JP Stevens High School and the Paterson Music Project.