After busking in the streets of London and forming bands The Animal Crackers and Perroflauta, Fernando Gabriel Echave Peláez (born in 1966), better known as Gecko Turner, decided to try his luck on his own. A self-taught musician, Pelaéz grew up listening to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones before discovering jazz during his teenage years. Following the demise of the Brazilian-tinged Perroflauta, Peláez spent the last of his savings to book a studio and record what would become Guapapasea! (2003), his first full-length, aided by some studio musicians and a couple of friends. The album, which boasted an impressive array of influences ranging from samba and bossa nova to afrobeat, reggae, and funk, was picked up by Quango Records and released in the US shortly after. This led to a North American tour, in which Peláez got the chance to play legendary New York venues like The Knitting Factory and SOB’S. The LP also earned an Extremadura Award to Creation in 2005, given to writers and musicians who promote the use of the Spanish language as an artistic medium. He followed up with Chandalismo Ilustrado (2006), Manipulado (2008), and Gone Down South (2010), inspired by Peláez’s love for blues, soul, and R&B. In subsequent years, he released That Place by The Thing with The Cool Name (2015) and Soniquete: The Sensational Sound of Gecko Turner (2018), a compilation celebrating 15 years since the release of his first LP.
