THE AFRO LATIN JAZZ ORCHESTRA CONCLUDES
GRAMMY® AWARD-WINNING ENSEMBLE TO ACCOMPANY SPECIAL
GUEST POETS: ANGEL R. RODRIGUEZ, SR., SANDRA MARÍA ESTEVES, TATO LAVIERA, ODILIA RIVERA SANTOS, CARIDAD "LA BRUJA" DE LA LUZ, PATTY DUKES & REPHSTAR, & CHRISTOPHER "CHILO" CAJIGAS
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10TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON CELEBRATION WITH
"MÚSICA NUEVA 5: BIG BAND POETRY JAM & BEYOND"
AT SYMPHONY SPACE, MAY 11 & 12
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Photo Credit: John Abbott
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GUEST POETS: ANGEL R. RODRIGUEZ, SR., SANDRA MARÍA ESTEVES, TATO LAVIERA, ODILIA RIVERA SANTOS, CARIDAD "LA BRUJA" DE LA LUZ, PATTY DUKES & REPHSTAR, & CHRISTOPHER "CHILO" CAJIGAS
REVIEWED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES
The Afro Latin Jazz Alliance announces that it will conclude the 10th Anniversary season celebration of the GRAMMY® Award winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (ALJO), directed by Arturo O'Farrill, with a special program titled "Música Nueva 5: Big Band Poetry Jam & Beyond." The 5th annual new music concert will take place at Symphony Space on Manhattan's Upper West Side,May 11 and 12 at 8PM. The program, curated by poet, musician, and visionary, Angel R. Rodriguez, Sr., will feature a lineup of guest poets, who will be accompanied by the ALJO. Guest poets include curator Rodriguez, as well as Sandra María Esteves, Tato Laviera, Odilia Rivera Santos, Caridad "La Bruja" De La Luz, Patty Dukes & RephStar, and Christopher "Chilo" Cajigas. The arrangers for the two-night engagement include O'Farrill, Adam Kromelow, Bill Ware,Todd Bashore, Adam O'Farrill, and Jason Lindner.
"The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra takes particular pride in celebrating the Nuyorican Poetry movement," explains O'Farrill. "These elder and younger poets are the voice of our conscience, a reminder that the cultural conversation in our city and in our nation is still incomplete. It will also be an historic event. Nothing like this has ever been done with an Afro Latin Jazz big band and Latino spoken word. This will be an evening in the spirit of Gil Scott-Heron but with an Afro Latin entry point. Don't miss this one!"
In addition to guest poets, the lineup for each performance will include guest DJs, MCs, spoken word artists, instrumentalists, and dancers. "We have been planning the event for awhile now," says Rodriguez. "Bringing together poets and Arturo's orchestra is history in the making. This has never been done. Poets have always used music but not in this capacity. This is documentation for future generations."
"This program captures the magic of collaboration across art forms. The works that result from each poet/arranger pairing are a powerful combination of spoken word and music, and they encompass a wide range of artistic styles and social themes that grow out of the Latino experience, particularly here in New York City," notes Eric Oberstein, the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance's Executive Director.
The program will be a celebration of the Latin community and the artists will mix the classic sound of mambo, boogaloo, and salsa with hip-hop, acid jazz, and alternative improvisation. The performances will honor the work of the Nuyorican Poets Café, home to the genesis of the Latino spoken word movement and a multi-cultural venue for artists traditionally under-represented in mainstream media and culture. Previous 10th Anniversary celebrations this season included "Andy & Jerry's: A Tribute to the González Brothers" (October 2011), which celebrated the founders of the pioneering, Bronx-born Fort Apache Band, and "The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Turns 10" (January 2012), which featured Afro Latin jazz classics, distinguished performers, and new commissions from a variety of composers. The critically acclaimed performances received placement in publications such as the New York Times, The Village Voice, and New York Daily News, to name a few, as well as features on CBS Evening News, NBC's Visiones, and NPR. Earlier this year, Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra were nominated for a 2012 GRAMMY® in the category of "Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album" for their album, 40 Acres and a Burro.
About The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra:
Founded in 2002 by O'Farrill to perform the full repertory of big band Afro Latin jazz and commission new works to advance this culturally rich genre, the ALJO was a resident orchestra at Jazz at Lincoln Center from 2002 to 2007. In 2007, the ALJO left Lincoln Center to pursue the twin goals of developing new audiences for big band Afro Latin jazz and of creating a robust educational program for young performers. O'Farrill founded the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance that same year to pursue both the performance and educational aspects of this uniquely pan-American art form.
The ALJO is currently in its fifth season in residence at Symphony Space, and it continues to tour nationally and internationally to critical acclaim, performing over the past several years at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Boston Symphony Hall, the Newport Jazz Festival, The Joyce Theater (with Ballet Hispanico), Megaron Concert Hall (Athens, Greece), and the Taichung Jazz Festival (Taichung, Taiwan), among countless other venues. The ALJO received a GRAMMY® nomination for its 2005 album, Una Noche Inolvidable (Palmetto), and in 2009 earned a GRAMMY® for Best Latin Jazz Album for its release Song for Chico (Zoho). The Orchestra's newest album, 40 Acres and a Burro (Zoho), was a 2012 GRAMMY® nominee for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album.
About The Afro Latin Jazz Alliance:
Founded in 2007, the non-profit Afro Latin Jazz Alliance is dedicated to preserving the music and heritage of Afro Latin Jazz, supporting its performance for new audiences, commissioning new work, and educating young people in the understanding and performance of this important cultural treasure. The Alliance maintains a world-class collection of Latin jazz musical scores and recordings and provides institutional support for the GRAMMY® Award winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra. As the ALJO celebrates its 10th Anniversary season, the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance's educational and community outreach programs have flourished. Since 2007, the Alliance has created a robust educational program for children, teens, and young performers. Programs include: the Afro Latin Jazz Academy of Music, the Fat Afro Latin Jazz Cats, The Chico O'Farrill Scholarship, and the Chico O'Farrill School of Jazz, as well as master classes, workshops, and residencies.
The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
"Música Nueva 5: Big Band Poetry Jam & Beyond"
Friday, May 11 and Saturday, May 12, 8:00PM
Symphony Space
2537 Broadway, New York, NY 10025
Directed by Arturo O'Farrill
Curated by Angel R. Rodriguez, Sr.
Guest Poets
Angel R. Rodriguez, Sr.
Sandra María Esteves
Tato Laviera
Odilia Rivera Santos
Caridad "La Bruja" De La Luz
Patty Dukes & RephStar
Christopher "Chilo" Cajigas
Arrangers
Arturo O'Farrill
Adam Kromelow
Todd Bashore
Adam O'Farrill
Jason Linder
Bill Ware
For media information, please contact:
DL Media · 610-667-0501
