ABOUT JUANZ

Today, Juanz is one of Barbados’ few female professional drummers, moving effortlessly across several genres, including reggae, soca, Latin, pop, jazz and Tuk(indigenous to Barbados) to name a few.

Her versatile yet humble approach has taken her to stages across Barbados and abroad, performing alongside a significant cross-section of Barbados’ established and emerging soca artists, as well as artists, musicians and bands from across the region and internationally.

Some credits include Alison Hinds, Mikey Mercer, Nikita, James De Lovell, Len “Boogsie” Sharp, Buggy Nhakente, David Kirton, Splash Band, visual artist Sheena Rose, Kweku Jelani, Empressive Roots, Simon Pipe and Euphony Steel Orchestra, of which she is also a part-owner.

 

Juanz has made history on a number of occasions, beginning in 2013 when she became De Big Show Tent’s first female drummer, a position she held until 2024. In 2020, she became Barbados’ and the Eastern Caribbean’s first OneBeat Program Fellow, an internationally recognized music exchange program that selected 12 musicians from a pool spanning over 40 countries around the world. That experience led to the formation of The Wands Collective, a cross-cultural ensemble bringing together musicians from Barbados, New Orleans, Colombia and Russia.

 

With a strong belief in learning and sharing while creating memorable experiences, Juanz pursued an Associate Degree in Music with Distinction from the Barbados Community College. She continues to share her knowledge by teaching drums and percussion through private lessons to the next generation of musicians and musicians at heart. She has also used her gift of music to provide music therapy and classes for adults and children with special needs and has also used music and literacy concepts to assist children who have experienced challenges with reading.

 

With a mantra of “Always Forward,” a belief in positive energy, and a deep love for music and rhythm, Juanz continues to be driven by a desire to inspire others. These qualities contributed to her becoming the GineOn People’s Choice Award-winning 2019 Musician of the Year.

​

Juanz endeavours to continuously defy the odds as a woman playing a traditionally male-dominated instrument, while pursuing her dreams of travelling the world, performing and immersing herself in different cultures. She remains committed to sharing and gaining knowledge, creating memorable experiences, and continuing to grow throughout her musical journey.