More than a square for Jazz

By: Pedro de la Hoz

With the participation of musicians from Brazil, United States, Spain, Puerto Rico, Chile, Austria, Argentina, Mexico, Holland, Canada, Australia and Cuba, the 31st edition of the International Festival Jazz Plaza, to take place from December 17 to 20, will conquer several spaces in Havana with proposals designed to show others genres’ influence in that musical and universal expression.

The Mella theatre will present the opening (December 17, 8:30 p.m.) and closing (Sunday 20, same time) shows.  Performing in the inauguration show will be Ernán López Nussa and his trio, a formation coming from New Orleans and enrooted in the tradition: The Preservation Hall Jazz Band of New Orleans. The closing gala will have Omara Portuondo, Bobby Carcassés, Irene García Company and pianist Harold López Nussa with Puerto Rican sax player David Sánchez.

There will be very expected moments between both galas: the performance of sax player Cesar López and Habana Ensemble, tres guitar player Pancho Amat and his son Daniel, flutist Orlando Valle “Maraca”, sharing the stage with trombone player Steve Turre and percussionist Robbie Amin, both from the United States, and pianist Ramón Valle on Friday 18, while,  North American guitarist Billy Gibbons, mythical member of ZZ Top band and Cuban pianist  Roberto Fonseca and his group Temperamento will perform on Saturday 19.

As a sort of prologue to the festival, the Cuban musical band Síntesis, directed by maestro Carlos Alfonso will celebrate its 39 years anniversary of uninterrupted contributions to the fusion of rock, trova and Cuban music of African origin on Wednesday 16 at the Mella Theatre.

The Casa de la Cultura de Plaza, where everything started in 1979, will be a privileged space with every night presentations:  Lázaro Valdés and Sonjazz, Francisco Mela, Bellita and jazz Tumbatá,  Puerto Rican Jerry Medina band and Alaín Pérez and his orchestra will perform on Thursday 17; on Friday 18 it will be Triple Ace (Austria), Mongorama (USA-Mexico), Ruy López Nussa, Kono and los Chicos de Cuba and Bamboleo; on Saturday 19, Organ Trío (Argentina), Alejandro Falcón, Alafia (Brazil), Bobby Carcassés and Roberto Julio Carcassés and Interactivo; on Sunday 20, Daniel Puente (Chile), Kevin Barreto, The Shuffle Demons (Canada) and Manolito Simonet y su Trabuco.

The program organized by the National Center of Popular Music will include other theatres as Tito Junco (Bertolt Brecht Cultural center), Raquel Revuelta , Pabellón Cuba, Fábrica de Arte Cubano, Café Miramar, América Theatre and Salón Rosado Benny Moré.

Source: Cubarte