Biography
Islay Rodriguez, a guitarist of Latino Heritage, was born and raised in West Palm Beach, Florida.
At a young age, Islay displayed a deep appreciation for music, especially the Spanish guitar. His mother, seeing her son's passion for the guitar, felt compelled to find a good teacher and put him in guitar lessons.
By age 16, having a good grasp of classical guitar technique, a small repertoire, and a flare for improvisation, Islay began performing locally.
Some of his first public performances included such venues as The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, the PBCC Essey Theatre, and local restaurants.
At age 18, Islay began to take his music more seriously, and enrolled in the music program at Palm Beach Community College.
While at the College, Islay excelled in Music Theory, earning an award for academic excellence in all four semesters, and composing a beautiful, three movement Sonata for solo guitar. He also had the opportunity to participate in different ensembles with fellow musicians, playing both Jazz and Classical music.
During this time he also formed a guitar duo with his good friend Daniel Laiseca, called Islaiseca, and a Salsa band called Echoamano. Both of these groups performed at many local restaurants and theaters, and at many College functions.
Islaiseca was hired many times to play for college faculty events, and even for the President of the college, who requested them to perform on several occasions.
At age 24, Islay formed a duo with keyboardist Frank Bello, playing on the Discovery Sun, a day cruise from Ft. Lauderdale Florida to The Bahamas. Later that year Islay went on to play with a Peruvian salsa band, on Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas, one of the largest cruise ships in the world.
