19th International Jazz Colloquium Concludes in Cuba

The XIX International Colloquium "Leonardo Acosta in Memorian" concludes today at the Fábrica de Arte Cubano, in this capital, after several days dedicated to deepening the teaching and exchange of knowledge about jazz.

The academic meeting accompanied the 39th edition of the Jazz Plaza International Festival, which ends tomorrow with a great show where the virtuoso Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca will join for the first time the National Ballet of Cuba and the first dancer and general directrice of the company, Viengsay Valdes.

For this day, the Colloquium reserved the exhibition of materials from the Center for Research and Development of Cuban Music, led by Laura Vilar, director of that institution, Ailer Pérez and Leannelis Cárdenas.

The presentation of Jazz in AM-PM Magazine is also expected, guided by Rafael González Escalona, director of the Cuban music magazine, and Anabel Lescay.

Then, there will be a piano Master Class by Emmet Cohen (United States), and the illustrated conversation pianists in control of their careers, presented by the Cuban pianist Dayramir González in the company of Jorge Luis Pacheco and Aldo López-Gavilán (Cuba), Emmet Cohen (United States), and Manon Mullener (Switzerland).

In the afternoon, the Jazz and Cuban Musical Industry session invites to the presentation of the DVD album Tierra Nueva (Homenaje a Celina González), by Alejandro Meroño under the Unicornio Label of Abdala Productions.

Among other activities is the panel Cultural management, intervention in public spaces and musical markets. Alternatives for the circulation of Jazz, where Indira Fajardo (president of the Cuban Institute of Music), Ximena Guerreo (programmer of Jazz al Parque, Colombia) will be discussed.

Meanwhile, in the session on the theory of praxis, the Cuban pianist living in Mexico Gabriel Hernández will offer a master class on that instrument.

To end the day, attendees will enjoy the interactive GoGo Music Workshop. The indigenous and official music of Washington D.C., Americans James Woodert III (founder and leading voice of Future Band DC), Eian Jackson (percussionist and educator), and Joel Santiago (percussionist and musicologist) are invited to do so.

Since last Monday, the XIX International Colloquium “Leonardo Acosta in Memoriam” brings together specialists, students, professionals of the genre and the industry in panels, workshops and master classes under a common thread: the piano in jazz.

Meanwhile, the 39th edition of the Jazz Plaza International Festival, which takes place in the provinces of Havana and Santiago de Cuba, calls for a sublime fusion of talent between notable Cuban performers, 66 international groups and more than 150 artists from 21 countries, from them, 92 North American musicians.