Chiko Mendez

Height: 173 cm

Chiko arrived in New York only months old; where by the age of ten; he'd taken guitar and trumpet lessons and was already fluent in English. Though life was tough and his family poor, his priorit ...Show More

Chiko arrived in New York only months old; where by the age of ten; he'd taken guitar and trumpet lessons and was already fluent in English. Though life was tough and his family poor, his priority was to finish high school as he learned Spanish throughout Central America, soon after attending college back in the states. He excelled in reading and writing becoming proficient in both native cultures and languages. He minored in theatrics and performed frequently in school plays and local bands. As a child he'd pass the time helping organize weekend plays known as "veladas"; where tickets were hand drawn and sold for a mere 5-10 cents and the curtain was nothing more than a bed sheet strung across two trees with homemade rope. Playing baseball, writing poems and songs, riding horses and hitchhiking across town barefooted with a 3-string guitar to perform live on local radio stations after school were some of his other hobbies. Continuous years of loyal dedication lead to multiple appearances in American television shows like NBC's Saturday Night Live, TLC's Junkyard Wars, A&E's Watching the Detectives, Japan TV's Astonishing News, HBO's Sopranos/ Law & Order, USA's Burn Notice, etc., while other Spanish shows would air on Spain's Tele 5, Telemundo, Univision, etc. On his journey for artistic evolution he attends HB Studios in New York to further flex his chops - after which he participated in over 150 projects in many capacities. Chiko affectionately refers to these endeavors as the "boot-camp" of his career. Amongst them was a coveted role as a backup singer to Marc Anthony in the movie "El Cantante", starring Jennifer Lopez. Another was a pivotal scene as a guitarist for the sultry Mexican actress, Ana de La Reguera in "Paraiso Travel", starring John Leguizamo. Other films include "Lavoe", a film about the famed salsero Hector Lavoe, starring La India and Patricia Monterola. In addition, Chiko's worked with successful performers such as Rachel Castro (Jersey Girl), Horatio Sanz & Fred Armisen (SNL), Debbie Rochon (Toxic Avenger), Paul Kratka (Friday the 13th), Javier Sarda (Tele 5, Spain) and Stage directors such as Richmond Shepard (Richmond Shepard Theatre) and many more. On the music forefront, Chiko is also a vocalist, lyricist, composer, musician and producer. Tinkering in electronics lead to building his first computer which eventually morphed into a home studio where "Music Production 101" was self-taught. Throughout the following years he collaborates with artists such as Lisa Lisa, Louie Delgado, Tito Puente Jr., John Benitez, Latin Legend Jimmy Sabater Sr. & Jr, actor Steven Bauer, Latin Grammy jazz flutist Dave Valentin and many other well-known artists. Consistently targeting key projects, Chiko's songs have been featured in films such as the award winning comedy "Garbage" (Starring Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah, Steven Bauer, Billy Baldwin) and many other commercial DVD's, CD's available worldwide on Netflix, Blockbuster, CD Baby, Amazon, Itunes, On Demand etc. Other Medias include El Diario, El Especial, Un Chin, Daily News, The Source Magazine, Kiss FM, La Mega, WBLS including a book published in Spain where Chiko's artistic passion is displayed. His live stage and studio experience in music include the "MTG All-Stars" (the musicians behind the movie 'El Cantante'), a Merengue - Bachata album with seven original songs in English, Spanish and Italian and two "Get Busy" projects, where in association with Ritmo Delgado, Chiko wrote, sang, co-arranged and co-produced multiple tracks inspired by the Chano Pozo classic "Manteca". Recorded by the "Revival All-Stars"; among the artists were super-singer Babi Floyd (RIP) on scat and was also Little Ray Romero's last percussion session. Chiko's work spans the globe with travels to Europe, Central and South America. As an actor he pursues roles pertinent to a successful career. As a singer/ songwriter he performs live frequently and records original music for projects as they come. As a screenwriter he's currently developing scripts for film and television. Years of tenacious loyalty to the arts have helped him land key positions alongside award winning artists; learning basic to essential skills that are crucial to every artist's career. Chiko's future goal is to harness his on-and-off-stage/ front-and-behind-the-scenes experience to breath life into the creative process. Hide