Milly Riquelme is a Cuban pianist, composer and singer, who began her musical journey at the age of two showcasing her skills on a television programme featuring child prodigies. She earned a Musicology degree with Honours from the High Institute of Arts in Havana and has since worked as a pianist for various Cuban bands including the popular Conexion Salsera.
She frequently collaborates with her husband, Tom Toomey of The Zombies, as well as working with renowned musicians such as the Cuban violinist Omar Puente, most recently, with the prestigious Piano Tampa Academy in the USA, providing special piano arrangements and compositions.
The repertoire for this concert will include works by Carlos Fariñas, Ernesto Lecuona (classical piano) and original music composed by Milly herself in the first set.
The second set will be accompanied by the renowned Percussionist Lisa Cherian, playing works by a contemporary Cuban composer Jose Maria Vitier, Maria Matilde Alea, and some traditional Cuban music with jazz influences.
Born in Australia and raised in Sydney, Lisa Cherian is a prominent UK-based percussionist and conguera. Since moving to the UK in the early 1990s, she has become a central figure in the Bristol music scene, celebrated for her “legendary sense of rhythm” and mastery of diverse instruments.
She gained significant industry recognition as the opening artist for the inaugural London Drum Show, performing alongside Kasabian drummer Ian Matthews. Her career includes high-profile sets at Glastonbury Festival and a notable appearance at Pacha in Ibiza, where she performed with Boy George and saxophonist James Gardiner-Bateman.
She is a key member of several acclaimed ensembles, including the “funk-magic” group Jingu Bang, the Latin-fusion band Baila La Cumbia, and the Afro-fusion group Mankala. Cherian has contributed to numerous recordings, including Mankala’s Remedy (2013) and Cut Capers’ Sightseeing & Short Negotiations (2023).
