BIO

Victor Bastidas Rodríguez is an acclaimed jazz drummer, composer, producer, and educator with an international career spanning the Americas, Europe, and Asia. A graduate with honors from both Florida International University and Northern Illinois University, he has performed with legendary artists such as Michael Brecker, Paquito D’Rivera, Arturo Sandoval, Steve Cardenas, Sherman Irby, Samuel Torres, and Adam Larson.

As the founder and director of the De Paises Project Collective and BassMeant Records Studio in Beijing, Bastidas has released a distinguished body of original works including Transición, Guayaland, Canto Chocó, Somos Gente, Broken Language, and Opposite Latitudes. His music blends jazz with Latin American and global influences, earning him invitations to prestigious festivals such as Jazz al Parque (Colombia), FIA Festival (Costa Rica), Beijing Jazz Festival, and the New York Winter Jazz Fest.

Bastidas has shared the stage at iconic venues including Blue Note Beijing & Shanghai, The Arturo Sandoval Jazz Club (Miami), The Zinc Bar (NYC), and the National Museum of Colombia, as well as collaborated in large-scale productions such as the Broadway musical Coda for Freddie Blue and The Rap of China. In 2019, he was featured at the Drummers Summit alongside legends Dave Weckl, Simon Phillips, Mike Clark, and Tommy Igoe.

Currently based in Beijing, Bastidas is a professor at The Contemporary Music Academy of Beijing, where he combines performance, production, and education. With a career dedicated to pushing jazz beyond borders, he continues to build bridges between cultures through rhythm, creativity, and innovation.

Education

2003–2007

Bachelor of Music, Florida International University (Miami, USA)

Full music department scholarship.
Performed with legendary artists including Michael Brecker, Paquito D’Rivera, Arturo Sandoval, and Ira Sullivan.

2007–2009

Master of Music, Northern Illinois University (Chicago, USA)

Graduated with honors.
Awarded a full scholarship, a University Fellowship, and selected as part of the Rosebud Scholars Group.
Professional Career & Performances

2009–2013:

Early Career & Collaborations

Performed as sideman with international jazz artists such as Steve Cardenas, Vincent Gardner, Sherman Irby, Adam Larson, Samuel Torres, Reggie Thomas, Roy Assaf, Luques Curtis, and Sam Barsh.
Appeared at major U.S. venues and festivals:

New York Winter Jazz Fest with Edmar Castañeda’s World Ensemble.

The Arturo Sandoval Jazz Club (Miami).

Hollywood Jazz Festival (Florida).

National U.S. tour with Grammy-nominated group Seraphic Fire.

Featured in the Broadway musical Coda for Freddie Blue (NY), where he also contributed original music.

2013–2017

Chicago Period

De Paises Project Collective (as director, composer, and drummer).
The Chicago Collective, Adam Larson Quartet, and Reggie Thomas Group.
Recorded and released original albums:

Guayaland (NYC).

Canto Chocó: Tales of a Latino American Traveler (Chicago).

2014–2017

International Festivals

FIA Festival (Costa Rica, 2014).
Jazz al Parque (Bogotá, 2012).
Villavicencio Jazz Festival (Colombia, 2016).
CU Jazz Festival (Urbana, Illinois, 2017).
Multiple concerts at cultural venues including the National Museum of Colombia and Antigua Aduana in Costa Rica.

2017–Present

Beijing & Asia Expansion

Founded BassMeant Records Studio in Beijing, establishing his own creative hub for production, recording, and international collaborations.
Recorded and released:

UNiVERSAL:

Somos Gente (Beijing).

Broken Language

Opposite Latitudes (BassMeant Records).

Performed at major Asian venues and festivals:

Beijing Jazz Festival (2018).

Taihu Jazz Festival (Beijing).

Blue Note Jazz Clubs in Beijing and Shanghai.

Xi’an Music Festival with the Sam Barsh Trio (2018).

Featured in the season finale of The Rap of China (Season 2) performing with renowned artists.

Global Recognition

Invited to the Drummers Summit (Beijing) alongside drum legends Mike Clark, Simon Phillips, Dave Weckl, and Tommy Igoe.
Guest performer with the Colombia Big Band (Bogotá).
Selected Discography (Original Works)

Transición

Guayaland

Canto Chocó

Tales of a Latino American Traveler

Somos Gente

Broken Language

Opposite Latitudes

(All recorded across Chicago, Miami, New York, Bogotá, and Beijing.)

Teaching & Academic Contributions

Current: Faculty member at The Contemporary Music Academy of Beijing, teaching jazz performance and contemporary music.
Has led clinics, workshops, and masterclasses in the U.S., Latin America, and Asia, including at:

East St. Louis Senior High School (Miles Davis High School).

University of Iowa.

International Jazz Workshops with members of the Lincoln Center Orchestra.

Highlights & Unique Value

International jazz drummer, composer, and educator with over 15 years of cross-continental performance experience.
Founder of BassMeant Records, a Beijing-based label bridging Latin American and Asian jazz.
Extensive collaborations with Grammy-winning and world-renowned artists.
Proven academic leader, cultivating jazz education in China while maintaining a global artistic presence.

BIO

Education

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