Yayo Morales was born in La Paz, Bolivia. He studied at the National Conservatoire of Music from 1983 to 1989 and after that he moved to Madrid, Spain to complete his studies at the E.M.C. (Escuela de Música Creativa) from 1990 to 1994 where he earned a music degree in Drums, Harmony, Arranging, and Composition. In 2012 in Brussels, Belgium he earned the EMMEN diploma (European Professional Music Qualification) with a Specialty in Jazz.

He lived in Madrid for 23 years and became one of the most relevant and well known drummers in the Spanish scene.

As a freelance drummer and band leader, Yayo has  vast experience playing styles ranging from Jazz, Latin Jazz, Brazilian Jazz, and Flamenco to Pop and Rock, performing throughout Europe, Asia, and North and South America. Playing and touring with bands and musicians such as Henry (The Skipper) Franklin, Bobby Bradford, Azar Lawrence, Theo Saunders, Putter Smith, Marshal Hawkins, Hubert Laws, Teodross Avery, Doug Webb, Louis Van Taylor, Brian Swartz, Rita Marley, La Calle Caliente, Jorge Pardo, Carles Benavent, Benn Clatworthy, Chano Dominguez, Steve Cotter, La Barbería Del Sur, Peter Materna Trio, Javier Malosetti, Christian Galvez, Ramón El Portugués, Javier Colina, Manuel Machado, Scott Ambush, Juan Munguia, And Jerry Gonzalez, to name only a few.
From 1994 until 2013 he taught Drum Set, Ear Training (Rhythm), and Jazz Ensemble at the E.M.C. (one of the best modern music schools in Spain). He was teacher of the Associated Board of The Royal Schools of Music of London, giving percussion classes at Kensington School and E.M.C. (1992 – 1996)

In 2013, at the invitation of the Bolivian National Department of Education, he moved back to Bolivia to design and implement the new drum program for Jazz majors at the National Conservatoire of Music. This program is used as the standard model for all national drum programs at the graduate level throughout Bolivia.

He also was professor of composition and arranging at University of Saint Andrews (UMSA) La Paz, Bolivia, involved in extensive curriculum planning and an examination process individualized for each student.

In 2015 he moved to Los Angeles, California , where he currently resides. Today, Yayo has become an important active member of the Los Angeles Jazz scene.

Yayo played from March 1^st to March 3^rd 2019 at The Lincoln Center in NYC with The Azar Lawrence Experience.

Yayo won the First place in a National Jazz Composition contest in Bolivia. The Abaroa Awards 2018, are the highest distinction that an artist can achieve in Bolivia.

Yayo won the Premios Maya 2017 (Maya Awards) for Best Bolivian Artist Working Abroad, an extraordinary honor seeing as the Premios Maya recognize Bolivia’s foremost musical artists and cultural contributor.

Yayo Morales Trio album Los Andes Jazz Project 2 got preselected for 59^th Grammy Awards.

Luc Delannoy, author of ¡Caliente! History of Latin Jazz and other music books published in France, Canada and the United States, based in New York. Professor of philosophy of music, contemporary aesthetic and cognitive musicology at several universities in the United States and Mexico. Has dedicated in his latest book “Carambola” Vidas en el Jazz Latino (second volume of History of Latin Jazz) nothing less than Eight pages to Yayo Morales’s Los Andes Jazz Project first CD.

Yayo is the owner and creative director at Creative Sound Lab. He wrote and produced music for Apple; BYUTV; Univision, (Unimas); Gala TV (Galavision); Warner Time Cable; Corus Media (Canada); Food Network; TVE1 (Spanish National TV); TVE2; TELE5; Antena 3; La Sexta TV; Machinima (Youtube Channel); Cuatro TV; to mention a few. Yayo has been writing music for the TV series “The 100”. Helping composer Tree Adams on Season 6 and  Season 7.

Present day, Yayo is writing original music for the video game app. ELLOVEO. Supported by the National Science Foundation.

Discography.

Recordings of Yayo are featured on more than 80 albums, including the following:

• 2022 System VI: Indispensable. Feat. Benn Clatworthy, Ron Stout, Joey Sellers, Bryan Velasco and David Reynoso, L.A – USA (Jazz)

• 2021 Theo Saunders: Theolectrics, Still Life. Feat. Theo Saunders, Dimitris Mahlis, Mike Alvidres, L.A – USA (Jazz)

• 2020 System VI: Bennie’s Lament. Feat. Benn Clatworthy, Ron Stout, Joey Sellers, Bryan Velasco, Bruce Lett, L.A – USA (Jazz)

• 2019 System VI: Systematic. Feat. Benn Clatworthy, Ron Stout, Joey Sellers, Bryan Velasco, Bruce Lett, L.A – USA (Jazz)

• 2018 Clatworthy-Lett-Morales: Eight By Three. Feat. Benn Clatworthy And Bruce Lett, L.A – USA (Jazz)

• 2017 Los Angeles Jazz Machine: Bolivian Odyssey. Feat. Henry ‘The Skipper’ Franklin, Benn Clatworthy And Sam Hirsh, L.A – USA (Jazz)

• 2015 Yayo Morales Trio: Los Andes Jazz Project II. With Scott Ambush and German Kucich. The Carriage House, New York City – USA (Latin – Bolivian – Jazz. (Buy it).

• 2012 Pato Munoz: Todos Los Barrios. With Pato Munoz, Patxi Pascual, Alfredo Chacon, etc. Madrid – Spain (Latin Jazz).

• 2011 Peter Materna Trio: The Dancer. Wiith Peter Materna and Henning Sieverts, Cologne – Germany (Jazz).

• 2009 Musical Enamorados Anonimos. With Roman Feliu, Marcelo Fuentes, Bandolero, Jose Manuel Leon, etc. Produced by Javier Limon. Madrid – Spain (Latin Jazz – Flamenco).

• 2005 Diego El Cigala: Undebel. With Tomatito, Javier Colina, Montoyita, Israel “Piraña” Suarez, Ramon el Portugues, etc. Madrid – Spain (Flamenco).

• 2007 Yayo Morales: Los Andes Jazz Project. With Jerry Gonzalez, Caramelo Masso, Bob Sands, Bobby Martinez, etc. Madrid – Spain (Latin – Bolivian – Jazz).

• 2002 La Calle Caliente: Mozambique Soul. With Miguel Blanco, Manuel Machado, Pepe Rivero, Norman Hogue, etc. Madrid – Spain (Latin Jazz, nominated to a Grammy).

• 2002 La Barberia del Sur: Paquete y Negri. With Juan Jose Suarez, Enrique Heredia, Remedios Amaya, Armando Manzanero, Carles Benavent, etc. Madrid – Spain (Flamenco – Pop)

• 2002 Antonio Flores: Cosas Tuyas. With Antonio Carmona, Manolo Tena, etc. Madrid – Spain (Flamenco).

• 2000 La Calle Caliente: Latin Jazz Band. With Antonio Serrano, Miguel Blanco, Jorge Pardo, Vicente Borland, etc. Madrid – Spain (Latin Jazz).

• 1999 El Potito: El Ultimo Cantaor. With Juan Jose Suarez “Paquete”, Josemi Carmona, Juan Habichuela, Estrella Morente, etc. Madrid – Spain (Flamenco)

• 1997 La Barberia del Sur: Algo Pa Nosotros. With Jorge Pardo, Carles Benavent, Chano Dominguez, Jordi Rossy, etc. Madrid – Spain (Flamenco – Jazz) Link