Afro Cuban Jazz

BOBBY SANABRIA – drummer, percussionist, composer, arranger, recording artist, producer, filmmaker, conductor, educator, activist, multi-cultural warrior and multiple Grammy nominee – has performed with a veritable Who’s Who in the world of jazz and Latin music, as well as with his own critically acclaimed ensembles. His diverse recording and performing …

Born in the Pinar del Río province of Western Cuba, pianist and composer Elio Villafranca was classically trained in percussion and composition at the Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana, Cuba. Since his arrival in the U.S. in late 1995, he has been involved in jazz and Latin jazz scenes …

French native Cyrille Aimee has been impressing American audiences with her amazing vocal talents for a few years. The sultry songstress has traveled the world captivating audiences with a unique blend of Dominican rhythms and French Gypsy Jazz. In this interview with iRockJazz, Cyrille opens up about her transition to …

Born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Willie Ziavino began writing songs at the tender age of 14. The essence of his songs captured the daily life out on the Ecuadorean streets and garnered him some national acclaim. After a serious car accident, Willie moved to Havana, Cuba where he fell in love …

“One of the most prolific and gifted jazz pianists of the 21st century” – Quincy Jones For those who know how to listen, time and distance offer a wealth of perspective.  “When you live in your own country, you are immersed in that reality and you’re not necessarily conscious of …

Albert Einstein once said, “If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music,” Bill Ortiz has shown us the interconnection between his life and music with Highest Wish, …

Born in Paris, France and a native of the French West Indies, Meemee Nelzy has been infatuated with black and caribbean music since her childhood. Challenging herself as a teenager, she wrote her first texts in french a few years later in her dorm room in Toulouse, France and incorporated …

Jazz vocalist and DC-native Akua Allrich has proven herself to be a musician of extraordinary talent and crowd-moving passion. With finesse and charisma, this vocalist, composer and teacher, has successfully etched out a place for her unique musical expression, electrifying audiences in and around the nation’s capital with sold-out performances. …

Jessy J is a Latina saxophone player who broke onto the scene in 2008 with her chart-topping debut album Tequila Moon, which combined influences of jazz as well as Latin rhythms. Jessy earned the Radio & Records ‘Debut Artist of The Year’ Award and Contemporary Jazz ‘Song of the Year’ …

Pianist Michele Rosewoman is considered one of the most versatile players in modern jazz. For over 30 years, Rosewoman made a name for herself as an active exponent of Afro-Cuban music and culture, studying traditional Yoruba rhythms and incorporating them into her personal work.  She worked with the late great …

Drummer/percussionist Francisco Mora Catlett made some serious noise in New York jazz circles with the release of his ground-breaking Afro-Horn MX, a wildly eclectic mix of Afro-Cuban ritual, avant-garde jazz, and Latin American surrealism. Fans and critics alike were enthralled with the thematic direction of the music, which was inspired …

Singer Alicia Olatuja’s mix of jazz, classical, gospel and pop brought national recognition for her performance at the Presidential Inauguration ceremony. It’s the “breath taking” voice of a classically trained, mezzo-soprano who has drawn the most critically acclaim notice since the inauguration. Originally from St. Louis Missouri, Olatuja is a …