North America / USA /

Unity, The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson is a testament to the power of music and one man’s indomitable spirit. The passion project of Peruvian-born, Miami-raised producer / multi-instrumentalist / arranger Tony Succar, Unity features more than 100 musicians, such Latin superstars as Tito Nieves, Jon Secada and Obie Bermudez and the mixing magic of Jackson’s  legendary engineer Bruce Swedien in the first ever Latin album salute to The King of Pop.

Fueled by his relentless commitment, quiet determination and passionate faith in the loving message behind much of Jackson’s music, Succar has spent the last four years carefully creating Unity: The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson. He overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles, turning each roadblock into a stepping stone to take the project to new heights. In the process, he married Jackson’s timeless pop and R&B tunes, such as “Thriller”, “Bilie Jean”, and “I Want You Back” to his glorious salsa and tropical rhythms, creating innovative, vibrant arrangements that snap to life with exhilarating energy.

“American funk, soul, jazz – all those styles that were influencing Michael – were inspired from African music”, Succar says. “Same with Afro – Peruvian music, Cuban music. These songs were meant to be. Their original flavor lends itself to these Latin rhythms”.

Succar, 28 grew up listening to his parents play Jackson’s music, and by 13 had begun his own music career. He started on piano and segued to percussion, graduating with a degree in jazz performance at Florida International University in 2008. But it wasn’t until after the superstar’s untimely passing in 2009 that Succar, who earned his Master’s in Jazz performance from FIU in 2010, took a deep dive into the music and the man.

“That’s when I became a fanatic, memorizing all his lyrics” he says. “He was an amazing singer. I started analyzing every single detail”.

As Succar pored through Jackson’s material, revisiting songs like “Man In the Mirror”, “Earth Song” and “They Don’t Care About Us” – all of which are reimagined on Unity – he came to a realization: “Michael wasn’t only a musician, he was a spiritual person. He was speaking to people’s hearts through his music. He was a true role model and leader, not only in the music industry, but life in general”, he says.

Concurrent with his discovery, Succar arranged a salsa-infused version of “Thriller” for a Halloween party at Miami’s legendary, now closed Van Dyke Café. The reaction was so immediate and overwhelmingly positive to the performance of this new arrangement, that Succar recorded a version in his bedroom with his band, posted in online and gave away copies. Djs started playing the track and Succar began getting requests from around the world for a full album of Latin – flavored Jackson songs. “That sparked it”, Succar says. “I was such a fan. I felt like I had to do something”.

He launched a Kickstarter campaign and raided more than $10,000, which allowed him to record basic tracks and the idea and harmonious ideal of Unity was born. “The one thing that stood out in Michael’s usic was love. The reality was unity,” He says. “I also wanted the title to stand for something: a real marriage between Latin roots and American pop culture and to help keep Michael’s legacy alive”.

Part of keeping Jackson’s legacy alive meant incorporating elements of the original production in each of his fresh renditions for Unity. “Even the horn lines, I would transcribe them from Quincy Jones’ produtions and then apply them to the arrangement in a different way,” Succar says. “The essence of every song was respected. I gave it my best to create this very thin line between what Michael did with his production and what I brought to the project”.

As Succar proceeded, an astounding number of coincidences buoyed the project. Succar’s initial plan was to record the album with one vocalist, soulful Broadway veteran Kevin Ceballo, but as Succar finalized the arrangements, the idea of a compilation album cae to him. The first artist he reached out to was legendary salsa singer Nieves. He heard nothing back for months . Then, one day in the studio someone suggested Nieves fo “I Want You Back”. Succar explained he’d had no success contacting Nieves.

It’s turned out a studio visitor knew Nieves, called his manager, sent Nieves an MP3, and within 10 minutes, Nieves was on the phone asking when he should come in to record his vocals.

Nieves became the project’s godfather, bringing in other Latin stars, such as India and Jean Rodriguez. “If it weren’t for Tito, I would never have been able to develop this into what it is, “Succar say. “He really opened the doors for me”. Nieves even brought in his son, Tito Nieves Jr. to duet on the album closer, an emotional take on “You are Not Alone”.

As the project progressed, Succar sought out Secada, but once again, was running into walls. He had switched to a different studio and the recording engineer just happened to have worked wih Secada and upon hearing Succar’s story, gave Succar the singer’s direct email. Secada immediately replied that he wanted to record “Human Nature,” his favorite Jackson track.

But there was more to come. Succar contacted Swedien about mixing some tracks, but failed to get a yes after more than a year’s effort. He met his engineer Nick Valentin through a mutual friend, who piped up that he’d been Swedien some music and next thing Succar knew, he’s sitting beside his hero at Swedien’s ranch as Swedien mixed “Earth Song” and “Smooth Criminal. “He was the cherry on top,” Succar says. “When we were mixing, he would put up the original Michael songs and put on our remixes to compare and contrast. He mixed the tracks on the same Harrison 32C model console he mixed ‘Thriller’ on”.

The groundbreaking album, a joint project between Universal Music Classics, Universal Music Latin Entertainment and Universal Music Mexico, embodies Jackson’s spirit of harmony and bringing diverse cultures together through music.

Where there once was nothing but a dream, Succar now sees unlimited possibilities. Not only will there be a tour to support Unity: The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson, but he is considering future Unity projects that could salute the music of other timeless artist, such as the Beatles or the Bee Gees, filtered through a Latin musical lens. “Unity is going to become a movement,” he says. And given how far Succar’s come already, who could possibly doubt him?

North America / USA /

Chick Corea. The worldwide Jazz sensation

Armando Anthony “Chick” Corea is an American jazz and fusion pianist, keyboardist and composer. Many of his compositions are considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis’s band in the late 1960’s, he participated in the birth of the electric jazz fusion movement. In the 1970’s he formed Return to forever. Along with Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner and Keith Jarrett, he has been described as one of the major jazz piano voices to emerge in the post-John Coltrane era.

A DownBeat Hall of Famer and EA Jazz Master, 22 – time Grammy winner and keyboard virtuoso, Chick Corea has attained living legend status after five decades of unparalleled creativity and an artistic output that is simply staggering.

Chick is the fourth – most – nominated artist in the history of the Grammys with 63 nominations. He’s also earned 3 Latin Grammy Awards, the most of any artist in the Best Instrumental Album category.

“Chicl Corea: Documentary of Legendary Jazz Great, Pianist and Component http://vimeo.com/10933550”

From straight ahead to avant-garde, bebop to fusion, children’s songs to chamber music, along with some far-reaching forays into symphonic works, Chick has touched an astonishing number of musical bases in his illustrious career while maintaining a standard of excellence that is awe-inspiring. A tirelessly creative spirit, Chick continues to forge ahead, continually reinventing himself in the process.

Chick Corea: European Tour 2017

• Wroclaw, Poland – 06/22/17: Chick Corea Elektric Band – Hala Orbita – 8:00 pm

• London, United Kingdom – 06/24/17: Chick Corea Elektric Band – Barbican – 7:30 pm

• Lviv Ukraine – 06/27/17 : Chick Corea Elektric Band – Alfa Jazz Festival – 9:00 pm

• Timisoara, Romania – 06: Chick Corea Elektric Band – Timisoara Jazz Festival – 9:00 pm

• Belgrade, Serbia – 07/02/17: Chick Corea Elektric Band – Kombank Arena – 10:00 pm

• Skopje, Macedonia – 07/02/17: Chick Corea Elektric Band – Metropolis Arena – 10:00 pm

• Kongsberg, Norway – 07/07/17: Chick Corea Elektric Band – Kongsberg festival – 5:00 pm

• Rotterdam, Netherlands – 07/07/17: Chick Corea Elektric Band – North Sea Jazz Festival – 11:00 pm

• Rotterdam, Netherlands – 07/08/17 Chick Corea & Bela Fleck – North Sea Jazz Festival – 09:00 pm

• Rotterdam, Netherlands – 07/09/17: Chick Corea & Trondheim Jazz Orchestra – North Sea Jazz Festival – 4:30 pm

• Dublin, Ireland – 07/10/17: Chick Corea & Bela Fleck – National Concert Hall – 8:00 pm

• Trentino, Italy – 07/12/17: Chick Corea & Bela Fleck – Sounds of the Dolomites Festival – 1:00 pm

• Grugliasco, Italy – 07/13/17: Chick Corea & Bela Fleck – Gru Village Festival – 10:00 pm

• Sant Feliu de Guixols, Girona, Spain – 07/16/17: Chick Corea & Bela Fleck – Festival de Porta Ferrada – 9:30 pm

• Valencia, Spain – 07/17/17: Chick Corea & Bela Fleck – Jardines de Viveros – 8:00 pm

• Moritz, Switzerland – 07/21/17: Chick Corea & Bela Fleck – Festival Da Jazzz – 9:00 pm

• Albany, NY – 08/05/17: Chick Corea Elektric Band & Bela Fleck and The Flecktones – The Palace Theater – 7:30 pm

• Vienna, VA – 08/06/17: Chick Corea Elektric Band & Bela Fleck and The Flecktones – The Filene Center – 8:00 pm

• Red Bank, NJ – 08/09/17: Chick Corea Elektric Band & Bela Fleck and The Flecktones – Count Basie Theatre – 7:30 pm

• Kennett Square, PA o 08/09/17: Chick Corea Elektric Band & Bela Fleck and The Flecktones – Longwood Gardens – 8:00 pm

• Chautauqua, NY – 08/11/17: Chick Corea Elektric Band & Bela Fleck and The Flecktones – Chautauqua Institute – 8:15 pm

• Sterling Heights, MI – 08/12/17: Chick Corea Elektric Band & Bela Fleck and The Flecktones – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre- 7:30 pm

• Cincinnati, OH – 08/13/17: Chick Corea Elektric Band & Bela Fleck and The Flecktones – PNC Pavillion – 7:00 pm

• Denver, CO – 08/15/17: Chick Corea Elektric Band & Bela Fleck and The Flecktones – Denver Botanic Gardens – 6:30 pm

• Salt Lake City, Utah – 08/16/17: Chick Corea Elektric Band & Bela Fleck and The Flecktones – Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre 6:00 pm

For further information and tickets:

411 Cleveland St. #215 Clearwater, FL 33755

(888)712-4425

The Kurland Agency

[email protected]

(617)254-0007

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