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Luis Jacinto Muñoz (born August 19, 1953) is a Costa Rican percussionist, producer, arranger and composer. He is a multiple-time ACAM Award [es] winner.^[1]

After graduating from high school in 1971, Muñoz entered the University of Costa Rica, where he studied architecture. At the same time, he enrolled at the National Conservatory of Music, where he took flute lessons with the principal flutist of the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica.^[2]

In 1974, Muñoz immigrated to the United States. He enrolled at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and studied composition with Peter Racine Fricker and Stephen Hartke.^[3][4]

Muñoz began his musical career as a rock & roll drummer in his native Costa Rica. In 1968, he formed his first band, The King Kats. Their recording Midnight Sunshine became a number one hit in 1968 and became one of the first original rock & roll songs ever recorded by a Costa Rican group.^[5][6][7]

Muñoz's involvement in other projects of importance in the national music scene followed, including playing drums with Jazz pianist Pibe Hine, forming the Trio de Rock Acústico with singer and songwriters Alvaro Fernández and Pamela Johnson, and acting as arranger, co-producer, and performer in Compadre, a record by Alvaro Fernandez.^[8][9] Muñoz's first compositions were in 1975. After finishing his formal studies at UCSB, he started the band Pelin. In 1980, Muñoz was invited by the Costa Rican Government. He toured the entire country performing and recording music.^[10]

In 1995, Muñoz was signed by Fahrenheit/Jazz, a record label out of Denver, Colorado. His 1996 CD, The Fruit of Eden, marked the beginning of his recording career. In 1998, Muñoz released his second project, Compassion. Then in 2004, he created his record label, Pelín Music, and released Vida.^[11]

In 2011, Muñoz won his second ACAM Award for Jazz Composer of the Year with Invisible (2010).^[12] In 2015, Muñoz released a vocal record Voz which won him 2 ACAM Awards (Jazz Record of the Year and Best Sound Engineering), plus a nomination for a third award, for Producer of the Year.^[13]

In 2017, Muñoz recorded, The Dead Man, originally inspired by a short story of the same name by Uruguayan author Horacio Quiroga. The Dead Man won the fifth ACAM award for Best Instrumental Record of the year.^[14]

In 2019 Muñoz collaborated with Guyanese singer Lois Mahalia and released The Infinite Dream, his first vocal project in English.^[15]

• Luis Jacinto Muñoz on LinkedIn