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The orchestra formed by Puerto Rican women will back to work and will release its first album in the coming months.

Son Divas is here to stay. This was stated by Aníbal de Gracia, manager, producer, and creative director of the girl group. After a short recess caused by the pandemic, Son Divas has just released the single ‘Mujer de acero’, which will be part of the first album they are working on and is scheduled to be released between March and summer.

“During this time in which many projects had been delayed as a result of the pandemic, many people told me that Son Divas should record an album. After thinking and appraising how much the group had made progress since its beginnings, I thought that it was the right time for that first recording.

We have already recorded some songs and others are in the process and we hope to release it between March and summer, but observing what happens with the matter of the pandemic,” said de Gracia, manager and producer of Son Divas.

The musician/orchestra director also noted that more than 100 female musicians, among other guests, will participate in the record production.

“We decided that we were supposed to invite the largest possible number of women, not only of Puerto Rico, but of the entire world. We want to finish recording the album, be able to release it into the marketplace and, and look forward to the moment when we can play it live,” he said.

Son Divas is recording a song in conjunction with the Cuban orchestra Anacaona, the first women’s orchestra in the world. The Cuban group was founded by the Castro sisters in the 1930s. According to de Gracia, Dominican musician Wilfrido Vargas had contact with the Anacaona orchestra during the 70s, and in this way, developed the concept of Las Chicas del Can.

“Although the album will have a romantic theme, it will be varied. Songs to dance salsa, merengue, and even a Latin jazz track can be found here. It will have a combination of new songs with some covers. ‘Eclipse total del amor’, a salsa version of a song popularized by Lissette Alvarez;

‘Mala novia’, ‘Una loca como yo’ and ‘Mujer de acero’, a song we already released in promotion. These are some of the tracks of the album”.

De Gracia began training the girls from Son Divas in 2017 after participating in a music festival in St. Kitts where he shared the stage with the Anacaona orchestra the previous year. After being impressed by these Cuban girls he decided to start a similar project in Puerto Rico.

“After recruiting girls, getting a whole lot of rehearsal, and overcoming the drawbacks of Hurricane Maria, we recorded the first single ‘Mala novia’, a song by Mel Martinez and arrangement by Ramon Sanchez. We managed to be played on the radio and it opened a lot of doors.

We made several performances in Puerto Rico and went to St. Kitts. We recorded a second single titled ‘Una loca como yo’ in collaboration with Gilberto Santa Rosa and Victor Manuelle on backing vocals.

After that, we had to deal with the pandemic and musical activity had been stopped. Now, we are back to work again. We are working on the album that is sure people will like very much because it is being done with passion, love, and very good musical quality”, de Gracia said.

Son Divas is led by Nicole Yomara Santiago (musical director and trumpeter); it features singers Nico Camilo, Luz Mary Parra and Lilly Aponte. Zuleyka Martínez (saxophone), Nicole Vargas (trumpet), Ileana González (trumpet), Irem Díaz (bass), veteran virtuous Amuni Nacer (piano), Dali Marie (conga and bongo) and Daizalee M. Félix (timbal). The latter two appeared on the album.

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Luis is one of the most active jazz pianists in New York.

Originally from Venezuela, he began playing piano at the age of 10, and by the age of 12 was playing professionally on radio and television, as well as in concerts and clubs. Luis later moved to the United States.

To attend the Manhattan School of Music on scholarship, he graduated in 1997 and went on to earn a master’s degree at Queens College, where he was a student of the great pianist Sir Roland Hanna.

Shortly after moving to New York, he quickly established himself as an in-demand pianist amassing an impressive resume.

Some of the artists Luis has recorded and/or performed include Ravi Coltrane, David Sanchez, Tom Harrell, John Patitucci, Ray Barretto, Brian Lynch, Miguel Zenon, Dave Douglas, David Weiss and The Cookers, David Gilmore, Ralph Irizarry and Timbalaye, Henry Threadgill and Steve Turre, among others; a list that is as remarkable for its high level as it is for its diversity.

Luis is also recognized as a member of several bands, especially the groups led by Ravi Coltrane, with whom he spent 10 years and Miguel Zenon, with whom he has had a collaboration that is currently in its 18th year.

Luis has also made a mark as a performer. Composer and arranger on recordings by Ray Barretto, Ignacio Berroa, John Benitez and Ralph Irizarry. He has also been commissioned as a composer by the Jazz Gallery, The Afro Bop Alliance and Arturo O’Farrill’s Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra.

He can be heard most recently on Ravi Coltrane’s Grammy nominated “Spirit Fiction” and Miguel Zenón’s “Típico”. In 2002 he won the 2nd Grand Prize at the “3rd Martial Solal Jazz Piano Competition” in Paris, among a group of 66 international pianists.

He can be heard more recently in Ravi Coltrane’s Grammy nominated “Spirit Fiction” and Miguel Zenón’s “Tipico”. In 2002 he won the 2nd Grand Prize at the “3rd Martial Solal Jazz Piano Competition” in Paris, among a group of 66 international pianists.

As a sideman, Luis has performed at most of the major music festivals and venues in over 50 countries, and as a leader, he has toured Europe, Japan, South America and the United States.

Luis has also been very active around the world in recent years as a teacher, soloist and as leader of his own trio: The Controlling Ear Unit and various other projects, and has released nine highly praised recordings as a leader: “…Focus Point “.

Focus Point “. (2005),” Awareness ” (2006), and the highly acclaimed ” Universal Mind ” with Drew Gress and Jack Dejohnette (2012) for Ravi Coltrane’s RKM Music label. ” Pathways ” in 2008, the ” Childhood ” project in 2012 and ” Links ” in 2013 were recorded for Criss Cross Jazz.

His ” Twenty – Two ” project, with ” Controlling Ear Unit “, was released in 2015 on the Hot Tone Music label.

This high octane CD unites Luis with bassist / vocalist Mimi Jones and drummer Rudy Royston. The two most recent CD’s:” Montage “; Luis’ first piano outing and” Spirits and Warriors “; a quintet release for the Criss Cross Jazz label featuring drumming legend Billy Hart, was released in May 2016.

Luis Perdomo has also participated in over 200 recordings as a sideman.

As an educator, Luis has taught master classes at conservatories in Amsterdam and Paris, Princeton University, Hochschule Fur Musik und Theatre (Munich, Germany), Berklee (Valencia, Spain), IUDEM (Caracas, Venezuela), Esmuva (Madrid, Spain) ; and the School of Jazz in Berkeley, California, among others.

He has taught summer jazz camps, including “Jazz in July” at the University of Massachusetts, Langnau Jazz Nights in Switzerland; The Banff International Workshop and the University of Manitoba in Canada, Badajoz Jazz Worshop in Spain; Universidad EAFIT in Medellin; Tonica Jazz Festival in Guadalajara, Mexico and Guimaraes Jazz Workshops in Portugal, among others.

In 2016, Mr. Perdomo served as artistic director of the Langnau Jazz Workshops in Switzerland. Luis has also taught at the New School for Social Research, and currently serves as an adjunct professor of piano at Queens College in New York City.

For more information, visit www.luisperdomojazz.com

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