Giovanni Hidalgo, also known as "Mañenguito," is a Grammy Award-winning Latin jazz percussionist from Puerto Rico. Widely regarded as one of the world's premier conga players, he is noted for his speed, precision, and hand drumming innovations, which blend Afro-Caribbean rhythms with jazz, funk, and global styles. His work connects him to the lineage of legendary percussionists such as Tata Güines, Candido, Changuito, and Chano Pozo. Among his professional collaborations, he performed batá, percussion, and congas on pianist Rebeca Mauleón's album Descarga en California, released on Pimenta Records.
Hidalgo's recording career includes a diverse catalog of Latin jazz releases. His early albums include Worldwide (1993), Time Shifter (1996), and Hands Of Rhythm (1997). He followed these with projects such as The Conga Kings (2000), Jazz Descargas (2001), and Villa Hidalgo (2008).
In his later career, Hidalgo continued to release new music, including the 2020 album Two Become One and the single Things We Said Today. His subsequent releases include Tribute To The King (2023), followed by New York Descargas and Jubilation, both released in 2024.
