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Claudia Acuña She is mainly known for singing jazz standards, ballads, and bossa nova
Claudia Acuña (Santiago de Chile, July 31, 1971) is a Chilean jazz singer considered the most successful Chilean jazz artist of all time. Since 1995 she has lived in New York, USA.

She is known mainly for singing jazz standards, ballads, and bossa nova, as well as for developing and promoting Chilean folklore in the United States and the jazz world.
Abandoning the traditional jazz standards she covered in her two works for Verve, Chilean vocalist Claudia Acuña reveals a more contemporary Latin sound, with R&B influences, in her Maxjazz debut.
Undoubtedly Acuña’s most personal work to date, Luna once again displays her immense gift for delicately passionate vocals and interesting arrangements. While still using the smooth, sensitive Fender Rhodes keyboards of longtime collaborator Jason Lindner, Acuña sings more in Spanish on his third disc only Lindner’s “Yesterday You and I” is sung in English and eschews any straight-ahead jazz style for an almost fusion approach.
This is not to say it is jazz-pop, but the delicate melodies are reminiscent of 1970s Airto Moreira and the best Al Jarreau.

Although there are few jazz improvisations (most tracks are less than five minutes long), the music remains complex, cultured and sophisticated, with deep harmonies that should please jazz lovers and Latin music enthusiasts alike. Matt Collar.
Claudia Acuña, born in 1971 in Santiago, Chile, is one of the most representative voices of contemporary Latin American singing.
Her music, which fuses elements of jazz and Chilean folk music, has captured the attention of audiences both nationally and internationally.
Claudia has managed to position herself as a key figure in the diffusion of Chilean culture through her art.

Early years and formation
From a very young age, Acuña showed interest in music. She grew up in an environment where Chilean musical traditions were part of everyday life. In her childhood, she began to learn about the guitar and piano, which led her to develop her vocal talent. Claudia Acuña trained in the musical field in various institutions, where she cultivated her love for jazz, a genre that would profoundly influence her throughout her career.
Successes and trajectory
Claudia Acuña’s debut in the music world was well received, which opened the doors to a series of presentations in festivals and concerts in Chile and other Latin American countries.
Her debut album, which includes a fusion of traditional Chilean rhythms and rhythms from other cultures, was acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, propelling her career to new heights.
Throughout her career, Claudia has collaborated with leading musicians and participated in important international festivals. Her ability to perform not only Latin American music, but also jazz standards, has made her versatility recognized by her peers and followers.
The albums she has released throughout her career reflect her love for music and her commitment to creating a unique sound that represents her cultural identity.
Cultural Impact
Claudia Acuña is not only a talented singer, but also a fervent advocate of Chilean culture. Through her music, she seeks to preserve and promote the traditions of her country, and often incorporates elements of folklore in her interpretations.
Her presence on international stages has allowed many people to discover and appreciate the richness of Chilean music.
In addition, she is known for her charisma and energy on stage, which makes her a memorable performer in each of her presentations.
Claudia has inspired generations of young musicians in Chile and abroad, encouraging others to explore their cultural roots and express themselves through music.
Recognitions and awards
Throughout her career, Claudia Acuña has been honored with several awards and recognitions, both nationally and internationally. These awards not only highlight her artistic ability, but also her impact on the music community. Claudia continues to work actively in the industry, collaborating with new artists and participating in musical projects that promote Chilean talent abroad.
Conclusions
Claudia Acuña is a Chilean singer who has left an indelible mark on Latin American music. Her music and her commitment to her country’s culture have established her as a unique artist in the contemporary music scene. As she continues her career, her influence is likely to continue to grow, bringing Chile’s rich musical heritage to new audiences around the world.

Claudia Acuna – Luna (2004)
Temas:
- Esta Tarde Vi Llover (Armando Manzanero)
- Yesterday You and I (Jason Lindner)
- Tu, Mi Delirio (Cesar Portillo de la Luz)
- Arrimate Mi Amor (Pedro Green & Jorge Diaz)
- Historias (Claudia Acuña & Jason Lindner)
- Chorado (Guinga)
- A Meditation On Two Chords (Jason Lindner)
- Oceano (Djavan)
- Yo No Llevo La Razon (Antonio Restucci)
- Lilas (Djavan)
- Carita De Luna (Claudia Acuña & Jason Lindner)
Musicians:
Claudia Acuña (Vocals)
Jason Lindner (Acoustic Piano and Fender Rhodes)
John Benítez (Double Bass and Electric Bass)
Gene Jackson (Drums)
Luisito Quintero (Percussion)
Jimmy Greene (Soprano Sax)
By:
Also Read: From Chile Nairoby and La Casa del Ritmo with their project “Vinyl Plater Productions”
This is Indiana composer, arranger, music teacher, and trumpet player David Hardiman
Our interviewee today is very special because of the talent and the enormous academic background he has, so we are very pleased to have been able to talk with him. We are talking about the arranger, composer, trumpeter, pianist and music teacher David Hardiman, whom we welcome to International Salsa Magazine.

A little bit of David’s story
The artist from Indianapolis, Indiana, began his tale telling us a little bit about how he started getting interested in music, which was when he was in fourth grade. That is when he started learning to play the trumpet and piano, taking advantage of the fact that he had one at home.
Unlike other children and young people who find other interests and hobbies besides music, David never stopped and kept playing the trumpet until high school, during which time he played in the marching band, the orchestra, the jazz band and the concert band of the institution.
Years later, he attended Indiana University where he also played in the marching band and concert band. He received his bachelor of music education through which he obtained a lot of classical training that he would later apply to his artistic career, but he did not stop there, as he also began to participate in ensembles with which he played R&B and jazz.
When he returned to his hometown Indianapolis, he was hired by a band with which he started playing blues, tap and jazz at parties, weddings and other events of this type.
In addition to that, he also taught instrumental music for over 11 years at the elementary level. He also taught flute at the fourth grade level and prepared children of those ages to be introduced to instruments until their formation in high school, something very similar to his case when he got started in this world.
The young musician already wanted to expand his horizons and thought about leaving the nest and moving from his home state to try his luck elsewhere, but first he obtained his master’s degree in music education in 1970. This was the final step that would make him realize that he was ready to take flight farther away from home.

Berkeley
In 1971, David went to Berkeley, California, where he began to teach at King Junior High School, which he describes as an excellent experience that taught him a lot about music at the educational and practical level. His teaching specialized in the orchestral and symphonic part of classical-oriented music. At the same time, he spent much of his time playing for clubs and private parties with various orchestras and bands.
One of his fellow teachers at King Junior High School named Grey Gomez taught at the elementary level and was a trombone player. Gomez told David that he needed a trumpet player for a group called ‘’The Aliens’’, so he proposed him to join the band and play with him at The New Yorker club. This would be the first time the musician played Latin music, more specifically salsa.
Introduction to Latin music in San Francisco
By then, David was looking for new challenges, so he decided that he could not teach at low levels at King Junior High School for life, so he began working part-time at the City College of San Francisco. Parallel to this, he played with another band for various basketball and soccer games during breaks.
Soon after, the musician began directing the big band in the aforementioned institution and teaching at the middle college level outside of San Francisco. When he became a full-time professor at the City College, he was much more exposed to Latin music and genres, which was contrasted with his hometown, as Indiana is not known for its large number of Latin orchestras and musicians.

In the Bay Area, he began to have much more contact with people from other nationalities and cultures, especially Latinos, which made him listen to various Latin music groups and play with others. He even opened up for great artists such as Celia Cruz and the Fania All Stars.
He also played with the group Café Canela, whose genres are a very interesting combination of salsa, chá chá chá and many more.
San Francisco All Star Big Band
About 50 years ago, parallel to what he did with other orchestras, he created his own big band named San Francisco All Star Big Band, with which he has played for all kinds of events such as festivals, university parties, religious services, weddings, birthdays, charity balls, nightclubs, among others.
With this orchestra, he has a few albums which can be found on YouTube and other similar platforms and they are ‘’It’ll be alright’’, ‘’Portrait of David Hardiman’’, and ‘’Music Around The World’’.

Read also: Puerto Rican singer Max Rosado and what he had achieved in Washington DC
ISM / May2025

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“We are the Latin music world network”
Do you enjoy Latin music? Would you like to get more involved in this genre and share your passion for Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba, Merengue and more. Why not joint our Global Team of volunteers as a correspondent?
You can ask for more details with no obligation and we’ll be happy to talk to you about the benefits that come with the role [Read more…] about ISM / May2025
Gira Tango
Latin America / Venezuela / Caracas
For lovers of Tango, what better way to learn or practice it than at the “Gira Tango” Dance Academy that offers tango classes in Caracas, Venezuela. They also organize dinners, shows and tastings, not to mention that they work with the Embassies of Argentina and Uruguay.
The Vision and objective of the Academy is to promote national tango talent, where they seek meeting places to share knowledge, entertain the public in order to connect everyone through this style of dance.

Starting in 2015, the “National Tango Encounter” was organized, an artistic production that for a week offered the 5 municipalities of Caracas opportunities to enjoy classes, concerts, live shows and milongas in plazas, shopping centers and restaurants; and from that moment it was held annually, being for this month of November 2017 its 3rd edition in conjunction with the embassies of Uruguay and Argentina.
The workshops will be held on the 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th. If you wish to attend the classes at CELARG, look for information through 0412-9507209 or 0414-3206975 and register through the email [email protected]. Wear comfortable clothes and choose shoes that slide. In the case of women, Gira Tango recommends wearing heels without a platform that support the ankle.
Dancers and Teachers
The dancers and teachers that make up the academy are Siulhy Santander and Leonel Colina, founders of the Academy, who are dedicated to teaching tango and cultural management, not to mention that both were trained by internationally recognized teachers John Erban and Clarissa Sanchez. , Sofiani Figueroa, Daniel Martinez, Mario Morales, Daniel Naccuchio, Cristina Sosa, Fernando Galera and Vilma Vegas, among other exponents of tango with a great career.

Siulhy Santander
She began his Tango studies in 2008 at the Centro Uruguayo Venezolano with the Academia Tango Caracas, directed by professors Frank Zambrano and Yore Rivas, without mentioning that he worked as a member of the dance corps of the Tango Caracas group until 2014, where He participated in various stagings and shows such as “Misterio Tango” and “10 Años de Tango Caracas”, where he met Leonel Colina. I also carry out workshops in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with professors Mario Morales, Fernando Galera and Vilma Vega in 2009 and 2012.

Leonel Colina
He was a student of Nationalist Dances from 1994 to 2001 in the Los Cocuyos Dance Group. He learned different types of dance such as Joropo, Calypso, Gaita, Drums, Bagpipes, Drums and Venezuelan Merengue. However, he decided to start studying again in 2007 at Academia Tango Caracas with professors Frank Zambrano, Yore Rivas, Frank Obregon and Sofiani Figueroa.

Starting in 2008, she worked as a member of the dance corps of the Tango Caracas group, participating in shows such as “Misterio Tango” and “10 years of Tango Caracas”, meeting Siulhy Santander Since 2011, the pair of dancers participated in the staging of the show “Misterio Tango”, which ran for two seasons at the Celarg theater and this couple has participated in cultural festivals such as:
- IV International Meeting and III National Tango Championship, Caracas 2009.
- V International Meeting and IV National Tango Championship, Tango 2010.
- VI International Meeting and V National Tango Championship, Caracas 2011.
- XVI International Dance Festival – Maracaibo (2011).
- XVIII International Dance Festival – Maracaibo (2013).
- Second Edition of the Ucab Dance Festival (2013).
- Caracas International Theater Festival (2015).
- World Tango Championship Medellin (2015).

For more information:
- WebSite: http://giratango.net/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/giratango/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giratango/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/giratango
- Email: [email protected]
- Phones: +58 4129507209 / +58 4143206975


































































