A Conversation with Percussionist, Bandleader Poncho Sanchez
Speaking with someone you have idolized for years is never an easy task. So it was with some trepidation that I dialed Poncho Sanchez’s telephone number and held my breath. When he answered the telephone we exchanged pleasantries and he quickly informed that he could only give me 15 minutes of his time. Somewhat disappointed, I pressed on and lo and behold, an hour and a half later we were still on the telephone! [...]
In Conversation With Francisco Mora-Catlett
“Music is about freedom, that’s what it proposes, that’s why it’s so popular and that’s why people love it. And it’s not freedom that...
Conversation with Jorge Gómez, Musical Director of Tiempo Libre
As part of the Royal Conservatory 2012-2013 Season, ¡Qué Rica Cuba! Series, "Tiempo Libre" makes an appearance at Koerner Hall in Toronto on Saturday,...
Cuban Roots – Conversation With Mark Weinstein
Essential Albums: Mark Weinstein's Cuban Roots and Cuban Roots Revisited
The following is an excerpt from an interview I conducted with Mark Weinstein in 2006....
In Conversation with Master Timbalero, Ralph Irizarry
"Latin jazz is one of the few distinct art forms the USA has given the world. Ralph Irizarry and Timbalaye's new CD give us...
In Conversation with Andy González
Andy González On "Entre Colegas/Among Colleagues
Interview Conducted by Truth Revolution Recording Collective
TRR: Who did you choose for Entre Colegas and why?
Andy González: I...
In Conversation With Author Basilio Serrano
Basilio Serrano is the Author of Puerto Rican Pioneers in Jazz - 1900-1939 - Bomba Beats to Latin Jazz
Jazzdelapena: According to your book, many...
In Conversation With Edsel Gómez
“Edsel Gómez’s Road to Udaipur is a sumptuously laid out album. Not only is the package bursting with myriad colors, but so is the...
Oscar Valdés, founder of Irakere and now band leader of Diákara
Irakere was Cuba’s invention to enable the Cuban scene to compete with the international rock music development. The innovative band became a great success and won a Grammy in the 70s. The Cuban state cut the success tour when it forced the group to cancel their concerts in the US in favour of local events. The founders Chucho Valdés, Cuba’s most famous pianist until today, and Oscar Valdés, percussionist and singer, are two of Cuba’s [...]
Conversation with Jorge Luis Torres ‘Papiosco’
Conga player and percussionist Jorge Luis Torres “Papiosco” was born in Havana City in 1969
He began to play Cuban percussion as a 3 years...
In Conversation With Victor Rendón
Interview: In Conversation with Percussionist, Composer, Arranger, Educator Victor Rendón
Based out of Lehman College in the Bronx and led by percussionist, composer, and arranger,...
Alex Conde Releases “Descarga For Monk”
Alex Conde was born into a family of artists indigenous to Spain. His father, Alejandro Conde, is a superstar singer in the style of “Cancion Española.”
Conversation With Dita Sullivan
For the past two Tuesdays, I have been stopping by at Minton’s on 118th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue, in the heart of Harlem...
In Conversation with Andrea Zapata-Girau
In Conversation with Director, Co-Producer, Co-Scriptwriter, Editor and Cinematographer Andrea Zapata-Girau on the U.S. Premiere of Guitarra de Palo
Andrea Zapata-Girau studied classical guitar in...
Wilbert Sostre Interviews Puerto Rican Guitar Legend Jorge Laboy
A couple of weeks after receiving a well deserved homage by the Puerto Rico Senate, I sat down with Puerto Rican guitar legend and...
Conversation with Pianist Manuel Valera
Manuel Valera: The wunderkind of the New Musical Express on music and life
Although it may not have happened that way, pianist Manuel Valera seems...
Elio Villafranca: In step with time – past, present and future
It is three days before my scheduled interview with the musician and pianist Elio Villafranca. I have long been fascinated by his ferocious talent...
NYC Latin On Lex: A Latin Jazz Fest
"The Y is a first rank cultural institution, and it’s an honor and a privilege to help them with this new festival, and hopefully serve as a bridge..."
Nikki Denner & Cocomama: A Conversation
“Denner is a super strong pianist, and her arrangements are full of rhythmic order; when she’s improvising she brings a ton of harmony and...
Dafnis Prieto On “Triangles and Circles”
Dafnis Prieto - Biography
A classically trained musician who absorbed from an early age the multifaceted percussive traditions of his native Cuba, Prieto transposes elements...
