ABOUT CAMILO MARTINEZ

@funkydisonante

American Contemporary Artist · Musician · Storyteller

Camilo Felipe Martínez Puche, known artistically as funkydisonante, is an American contemporary artist whose work bridges music, pop-surrealism, and emotional healing.

Born in 1978 in Barranquilla, Colombia, Camilo showed a passion for both music and drawing from an early age—selling hand-drawn portraits of Metallica’s Cliff Burton and Iron Maiden’s Eddie to buy his first bass guitar.

At thirteen, he joined his first band and later formed several garage groups in the underground rock scene of his hometown, including Sysmo (1995) and Neivirus (1996), playing covers at house parties and neighborhood bars filled with raw Caribbean energy.

After finishing high school near Rochester, NY—where he held his first solo exhibit Funky Expressions (1996)—Camilo returned to Colombia and became an influential part of the Colombian rock scene for more than two decades.

He founded Madresanta (1997–1999), Micosonica (1999–2003), PakoYunke (2003–2004), and Rocksito (2004–2009). Later, he joined Los De Adentro (Sony Music) as bassist for their album Volver a Amar, touring internationally and performing in sold-out arenas.

Balancing life on stage with creative design work, he began developing CD covers, Flash animations, and custom Myspace pages for bands across Latin America—where the name funkydisonante was born

After EMI stopped his record project, Camilo had to start over completely—a turning point that pushed him to rebuild not just his career, but his sense of purpose.

During this time, he honed his digital design skills, creating CD covers, Flash animations, and websites for musicians. Building on that creative momentum and his Business degree with a major in Marketing, Camilo founded FunkyDisonante Studio in Bogotá, specializing in digital product development, artist branding, and custom e-commerce platforms.

In 2009, Camilo returned to Barranquilla, where he got married and became a father of two. Balancing family life with his growing passion for fitness and self-improvement, he founded BAQ CrossFit, the city’s first official CrossFit box. Those years of coaching, parenting, and rebuilding structure in his life taught him discipline, empathy, and the value of presence—lessons that would later echo through his art and music.

In 2010, seeking change and balance, he returned to Barranquilla and founded BAQ CrossFit, the first official CrossFit box in the city. The experience of training, teaching, and raising his two kids during those years helped him rediscover discipline, purpose, and community.

In 2013, he moved with his family to Miami and started climbing the corporate ladder, until got to be Aeropost.com UI/UX Lead, leading cross-functional teams that developed digital platforms for over forty countries across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Despite his professional success, years in the corporate world led to burnout—a silent collapse that became his wake-up call.

As UI Lead of product development for PriceSmart.com, he found himself wearing more than five hats—implementing every detail from merchandise themes and promotional layouts to UI/UX headers, memberships, and back-end integrations. Surrounded by layers of bureaucracy, two different managers, and conflicting agendas, Camilo pushed himself past exhaustion until he reached a breaking point.

Eventually, the pressure took its toll. He suffered a mental and emotional collapse—a profound moment that forced him to stop, confront his limits, and begin the long road of recovery. What began as therapy through painting slowly reignited his creative purpose.

Through healing, therapy, medication, and meditation, he learned to slow down, breathe, and rebuild his life—one brushstroke at a time. Art became his medicine, guiding him through a slow process of healing, therapy, medication, and meditation, teaching him to pause, reflect, and breathe again.

In 2019, Camilo fully returned to painting and created his alter ego Joe Hueso—a big-eyed, bone-like character symbolizing resilience, reflection, and rebirth. Through his acclaimed series Tales of Joe Hueso, he explores mental health, trauma, and the rediscovery of color after darkness—transforming personal pain into stories of hope and creative renewal.

In December 2021, a devastating fire consumed Camilo’s studio, destroying years of artwork, music, and memories.

Only one painting survived—The Melted Trooper—which soon became a powerful symbol of rebirth.

In the quiet aftermath, surrounded by ashes, Camilo picked up a piece of charcoal from the ruins and began to paint again.

From that moment of loss emerged a new creative fire. Over the following months, he rebuilt his body of work, leading to the collections Tales of Joe Hueso: Part I (Miami, 2022) and Part II (Barranquilla, 2023)—each piece a testament to resilience, transformation, and the healing power of art.

Today, through Funkydisonante Creative Studio, Camilo continues to merge art, music, and storytelling as tools for healing. His expressive big-eyed muses, pop-culture icons, and surreal portraits radiate rhythm and emotion—reflecting his lifelong dialogue between sound and silence.

Group shows, art fairs, solo exhibitions, and collaborations have helped him move forward and regain his love for life—finding purpose through creation, community, and new beginnings.