Ivan has delighted his audiences with his inimitable style.
He has played the instrument for many many years, consider
himself "A Man Whose Life Has Been The Guitar".
Ivan B. Mendoza was born on May 2 1964 in Lima, Peru, where he spends his childhood and young adult years.
One of two boys. Young Ivan used to hear his father play the guitar and
sing around the house. This was his earliest bond with a guitar.
His love affair with music began at the age of six when he learned his first notes on the guitar and showed an immediate aptitude for the instrument. Ivan taught himself to play the guitar with undaunted determination
using a hand full of records as his teacher, practicing for as many as
eight hours a day. Exposed to the rock-n-roll of the 60's, Ivan was then
inspired by the great musicians of that era.
By the time he was ten, Ivan performed several times in school events. During
his youth he participated in numerous musical shows in surrounding
cities. This helped develop his talent and prepared him for what would
become his professional career. Ivan studied music at Sebastian Bach
Institute in his hometown of Lima.
As the years passed, in 1985 Ivan moved from Lima to Paterson, New Jersey where he began
playing with big bands such as Charlie Lopez and Orchestra, David Sedeño
and Los Hermanos Moreno among others. He has performed in San Juan,
Puerto Rico, Long Island, New York, Stamford, Connecticut and
Philadelphia PA. Ivan has also played in North and South Carolina. In
his varied career Ivan has played on cruise ships, parades, fairs,
festivals and conventions. In 1992 Ivan entertained the inmates at the
Bronx County Jail.
When he moved to Florida in 1997 looking for a change and find a new audience quickly he started playing for American Bands
as well as Latino Bands in Tampa, Orlando and Miami. A few years ago
Ivan challenged himself to add his melodic voice to his amazing guitar
skills. Since then he has performed at the Sponge Docks in Tarpon
Springs, in restaurants, and private parties. With the release of his
new CD "Love Songs...From My Guitar To You". (2012) he will be even more in demand !
Being a guitar virtuoso for all these many years, he still learns from
the musicians he has always admired. They include Andres Segovia, Jose
Feliciano, Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton, Eddie Van Halen, Oscar
Aviles and Los Panchos. All are great legends that always inspire him
to continue to explore his guitar and voice " . . . a true artist",
demonstrating the breadth of his talent and diversity of his work.