Puerto Rican Bassist Alex “Apolo” Ayala-Berríos embodies the spirit of the multi-lingual musician. His vast knowledge of both Latin music and Jazz languages makes him one of the few bilingual bassists in the music scene. A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he blends his Afro-Caribbean roots with Jazz language, which enables him to pace himself through Swing, Bebop, Blues, Bomba, Plena, Rumba, and explorations of other Latin-American expressions.

With a professional career of over 20 years, his body of work includes Grammy Nominations and a Latin Grammy Award as a sideman, as well as performances, tours, and recordings with Latin music giants and world-renowned Jazz musicians.

Based in New York City since 2013, he started in music at age 11. He studied and graduated with honors from “Escuela Libre de música de Hato Rey”, and later on he earned his BA Degree in Jazz and Caribbean Music from Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music), where he studied with legendary bassist Eddie Gomez, and worldwide renowned Saxophonist David Sanchez, among others.