World Music at Jazz Plaza Festival in Cuba

Musicians from Cuba, Chile, Mexico, Colombia, the United States, Denmark, Norway, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Canada and Germany will perform on Thursday in this capital, during the 35th edition of the International Jazz Plaza Festival.

According to the program, US saxophonist Bill Evans will be one of the guests on the third day of the event, during which Cuban Maestro Joaquin Betancourt and his Joven Jazz Band will offer a concert in the Avellaneda Hall of the National Theater, where The Art of Chord Melody project and Chilean bassists Chris Galvez and Pablo Menares will also perform.

As a prelude, in the theater’s Covarrubia Hall, a tribute will be paid to the Chapotin ensemble, with performances by trombonist Eduardo Sandoval, saxophonist German Velasco, pianist Cesar ‘Pupy’ Pedroso, trumpet player Reynaldo Molote and the group Osain del Monte.

At the Bertolt Brecht Theater, Norwegian singer Grete Skarpeid, Cuban pianist Alejandro Cuenca and Danish violinist Line Kruse will perform, along with Cuban musicians Orlando Valle Maraca (flute), Yaroldy Abreu (percussion) and Dayme Arocena (singer), among others.

In the gardens of the Mella Theater, the performers will be Japanese flutist Sumiko Trio, students from Italy’s Siena Jazz National Academy and Cuba’s Amadeo Roldan Conservatory, and the Ochareo folkloric group.

The Plaza Casa de la Cultura will host an international night with the Dutch group The Sidewinders, Cuban maestro Bobby Carcasses and US musicians Stan Engels (trumpet player) and David Bradish (singer).

Also from the United States are the group Jan de Cosmo and Mike Lewis, The Common Taters, singer Haley Grey and Johns Hunter Alden. Cuban flutist Jose Luis Cortes and NG La Banda will close the concert.

From Latin America, Mexican pianist Daniel Hidalgo, accompanied by Eldis La Risa (saxophone) and Juan Carlos Paniagua (piano), from Cuba and Colombia, respectively, will perform at the Jazz Café of the America Theater.

Duo Control the Sound (United States), pianist Marvio Ciribelli (Brazil), the saxophone quartet Todo Incluido (2018 JoJazz Award Winner, Cuba) and Lazaro Valdés and Son Jazz will perform at Pabellon Cuba, in Havana.

For its part, Fabrica de Arte will reserve its Nave 4 for Tank and the Bangas from New Orleans, while the Tablao, at the Alicia Alonso Grand Theater, will host Jam Sessions with pianist Cucurucho Valdes.