About Us

Sin Hielo

Sin Hielo is a new musical project that starts with guitar giants Wayne Gerard & Sean Blackman - and often includes other accomplished guest artists -and tours the nation. The band is based in Detroit, and has created a new sound of Latin/jazz/rock.

Blackman is a powerful, acoustic nylon-string world music guitarist. Gerard is an electric guitarist jazz virtuoso. The third musician, Rick Beamon, who plays jaw-dropping percussion, is known as one of the best in the business.

Blackman and Gerard, who head Sin Hielo, are individually  successful, established, award-winning artists.

But just last year, in 2011, the two talents came together and formed Sin Hielo - a unique, exciting Latin/rock/jazz project that quickly caught fire; performing up to a dozen shows a week in just Detroit alone. The band's Spanish name represents both the new hot sound its has created and the sexy clientele that has jumped on the band's touring party vardo.

Blackman & Gerard's Sin Hielo is unveiling glimpses of their new album during their summer shows in Michigan and New Mexico. On the self-titled CD, launching in autumn 2012, they called upon guest artists in the worlds of Flamenco and Detroit electronic (names to be announced soon!). Expect to hear  original pieces of Latin jazz, a unique version of Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" and a few other interesting inventions and reinventions.

Blackman is a household name in Detroit even among those not versed in world music. He took world music, a not-so-mainstream genre, and introduced it the masses of Michigan who continue to devour it. Blackman is so popular among wide-spanning audiences that when he played his sold-out show at Detroit's grand Orchestra Hall, he received a standing ovation before even playing a single note. He's attracted international headlines - from Belgium to Colorado and in-between - as the visionary, composer and leader for the stunning, fast-paced 18-piece theatrical world music production In Transit, Travel the World Through Music & Dance that mixes traditional Brazilian, Armenian and Senegalese sounds with Detroit jazz & funk plus visual imagery.

Blackman is known for sultry, mesmerizing stage performances, National Geographic documentary compositions, and recently was invited for an exclusive private concert at the US embassy in Berlin.

Electric guitarist Gerard, whose extensive resume includes composing the full score for the motion pictures 'Waiting On Alphie', 'Dream House', 'Flowers for Norma' and 'The Verdict', is now writing for the new motion pictures 'Warsaw', which is in post-production and 'Audition', a comedy for director Juan Reinoso.

Gerard is an accomplished, wildly respected, in-demand recording artist – with his ear to the ground in all new musical genres. The top names in jazz constantly seek his musical expertise, as they together pioneer new sounds. He has recorded dozens of projects and tours regularly nationwide. His solo performances are so strong that he grabs standing ovations from audiences even when legends such as Stevie Wonder and Bob James share the stage with him! An Internet musical pioneer, Gerard was one of the first artists to ever gain more than one million downloads on MP3.com. His solo performances stop a room and stun even the hardest-to-please jazz and rock fans.

Shows are festive, with audiences that are interestingly far-reaching. Sin Hielo captures and excites mainstream and upscale audiences -yet their intricate musicianship impresses tough, seasoned jazz critics, jam band fans, world music lovers, creatives and urban crowds - not an easy task! See them live at shows that bring audiences to their dancing feet!