A Studio Album That Reflects The Multicultural Sound Of Western Europe And Latin America
The son of medical parents and the grandson of a passionate pianist, Fadi Gaziri ventures into the Salsa world with the album Cuba Classic, independent record production in collaboration with his German colleague and great friend Fritz Wengler.
Cuba Classic fuses the incredible universe of emotions that classical music transmits with the passion, conventional melodies of Jazz, and the rhythmic base of the Caribbean that characterizes Latin culture.
“Arranging classical pieces to fit a Salsa vibe was surprisingly easy… The melodies can be rhythmically changed to suit the Latin vibe while keeping authenticity…” Voiced by the talented British pianist.
This masterpiece with hybrid two-language titles strikes a perfect balance between the original title of a classic work and the sensation of the indicated awakening of a Latin melody. “I always liked Salsa for its quality to make people dance, so naturally and with such confidence.
As for the music itself, I love the colorful brass arrangements and Latin percussion. It’s a lot of fun to listen to and to play… ”. Fadi indicated.
The 13 songs on the album are El Capo (Zarathustra, R. Strauss), 5 Sinfonía De Salsa (Beethoven’s 5th Symphony). “I had a lot of fun with this one. …The Reorganization, the phrasing, using repetitions, increases, and the complete brass arrangement to make it sound like a proper Cuban track”. Fadi added recalling his experience with the production of this theme.
The next track on the album is Mambo Loco Nórdico (Grieg’s Piano Concerto in LA minor), resembling Havana at its turbulent peak and with great determination. Continues, the fourth track Mambo Austriaco (Mozart – Symphony No. 40 and Eine Kleine Nachtmusik), and the exquisite mix of Calipso Alemán (Beethoven’s Symphony 9).
In addition, you will also find in Mambo Classic: G-String Bossa (Air on a G string, JS Bach), Salsa Húngara (Brahms Hungarian Rhapsody) thought for the Latin ballroom dance competition tracks, due to the grace of the exuberant exposure of the horns.
Funeral De Che Guevara (Liszt, Hungarian Rhapsody in C sharp minor), Havanera (Carmen Bizet) is another of the themes that stand out on this album. “It was inspired by the character of Che Guevara and his revolutionary spirit. Along, with a trumpet blast from Mariachi… Fernando’s lyrics and voice also add to the overall feeling”. Gaziri commented to us.
Rumba Rusa (Swan Lake, Tchaikovsky), La Toccata Loca (Bach Toccata in D minor), Green Leaves (traditional Greensleeves), and finally the piece Lambada A La Luz De La Luna (Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven) beginning with the funeral march played with a trumpet solo intervened with a joyous lambada, ending in a Latin urban sound.
Fadi’s main idea with Mambo Classic is to simplify the music on this album for use in schools across the country and have children perform it by simply playing percussion with the backing tracks.
Similarly, Gazziri hopes to present this record production live in 2021 on the big stages of Berlin and the rest of Europe.
Why The Fusion Of Latin Rhythm With Classical Music?
This talented artist since his return to Hamburg in 2017 has been involved in teaching music to children and teenagers in schools in this port city located in northern Germany.
Gaziri showed signs of concern every day as he observed his students’ reluctance to learn classical music, a feeling already developed as a famed behavior among young people today. But why don’t German students like to learn about their cultural heritage? The main reasons that Fadi realized were that his students were not motivated to continue with their studies due to the complexity of the music and the difficult handling of the instruments that did not allow them to master them quickly.
Realizing this, Gaziri began to devise the fusion of the Latin genre with classical music and thus seek to reverse the discouragement of his students. “I wanted children to learn classical music in a fun and interactive way. Something that would not take long to learn and that could involve all participants, regardless of their age, nationality, or musical ability. Most schools have Latin percussion that sits on the shelves and is rarely used.
So, I thought it would be a great idea to put in some classic melodies and accompany them with this Latin percussion. Wouldn’t it be fun and a good learning experience at the same time? Fadi told us.
Currently, this prodigious pianist is evaluating the possibility of continuing to teach in German schools full-time by 2022.
The Story Of Fadi Gaziri
Fadi Gaziri is a natural music producer and composer for audiovisual media, film, and theater. He was born in Moscow and began his musical studies of piano and violin at the famous Gnessin Music Academy.
At age 12, he moved to Sweden with his family and later to England (1998) where he continued his musical training.
This extraordinary producer studied Music Composition, Piano, and Languages at Durham University in 2004 graduating with great honors and passing his ABRSM piano exams with distinction. Two years later he entered Bournemouth University to study for a Master’s in Film Composition.
That same year (2006) Fadi moved to Hamburg and started working on music for commercials, films, and sound branding. At the same time, he began touring the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Germany accelerating his musical career.
In 2014 Fadi released his first solo album titled Northern Lights, a mix of cinematic and folk sounds that he combines with electronic texture. He used his technological knowledge to loop while playing piano, violin, and adding subtle voices that he performed himself.
Over the next three years, Gaziri released his second EP “The Jump”, founded a music supervision company, and has been dealing with song placement, and licensing for film and television ever since. He assumed a permanent position as an in-house music producer at TUi Cruises in Berlin and composed, and arranged music for more than ten theatrical productions performed on board the ships.
