Juan Manuel Ponce

About Juan Manuel Ponce

Juan Manuel Ponce (guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, drum programming, percussion, vocals) is a venezuelan musician born in Caracas and living in Valencia (Carabobo state). In early eighties create his first rock band: SNX, but is with the following proyect, TELEX (1985-1991) that reach a great proyection like one of the most importants musicians in heavy rock from Venezuela. He left the music for a few years and returns with a new band: ATIKO in 1997 for create new music in heavy and trash metal style. Also is a former of a cover band called CoverVinilo to interpretate classic themes of rock and pop from venezuelan artists like Los Impala, Azúcar, Cacao y Leche and many others.
Besides of his musical career, JMP works like a researcher in the field of rock made in Venezuela. From this point of view, creates the Rock Total Magazine, maybe the first publication that includes a CD with themes of old (Témpano, Ficción, Gillman, Arkangel, Trance, etc.) and new Venezuelan
bands (Raimundo Rodulfo, Grado 33, Metempsicosis, etc.) and publishes three issues. Also, is a researcher and web master in the web site (expired link). He works in covers design and promotional videos for artists (rock, jazz) in his country.
With a long artistic career (musician, researcher, promotion) and recordings with Atiko and CoverVinilo, publishes his first album like soloist: Del Origen A La Transición (2016) like a tribute to Venezuelan rock from the sixties and seventies, recording covers of bands like Los Impala, Los Memphis, Sietecuero, Trampas and others but with his own style. With Del Origen A La Transición, JMP reachs a high prestige and continues his soloist career creating new songs of hard and heavy rock with lyrics oriented to the social, political and economical situation in Venezuela and creates a new rock style called “hard & heavy protesta”. One EP (Pura Coba, 2016) and two singles (D-2016 Negra Navidad and El de cien) is an introduction for his new album: Exilio (2017).