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Search Results for: tango

The Argentina Tango Salón Festival 2022 returns in January.

In Argentina, Buenos Aires will have a very interesting and attractive start to the year (2022) with the Argentina Tango Salón Festival, an event that takes place every year and is highly anticipated by tango dancers both nationally and internationally, organized by Roberto Zuccarino and Magdalena Valdez which will take place both in “La Viruta” located in Armenia 1366 Palermo, as well as in “La Milonguita” located in Armenia 1353 Palermo, where the professional dancers to teach us will be in these predetermined places in the schedule that we will present soon.

Argentina Tango Salon Festival 2022 Flyer
Argentina Tango Salón Festival 2022 with dancers Christian Marquez and Virginia Gomez

The Argentina Tango Salón Festival 2022 will be held from January 13 to 17, where the following tango dancers and / or instructors will be participating:

  • Christian Marquez and Virginia Gomez
  • Juan Malizia and Manuela Rossi
  • Roberto Zuccarino and Virginia Pandolfi
  • Dante Sanchez e Ines Muzzopappa
  • Carlitos Espinoza and Agustina Piaggio
  • Fernando Carrasco and Jimena Hoeffner
  • Daniel Nacucchio and Cristina Sosa
  • Sebastian Jimenez and Magdalena Valdez
  • Facundo Piñero and Vanesa Villalba
  • Javier Rodriguez and Moira Castellano

The cost of the classes is presented as follows:

  • 1 Class: $25000
  • 3 Classes: $6000
  • 6 Classes: $11.000
  • 9 Classes: $16.000
  • 12 Classes: $20.000
  • 15 Classes: $25.000
The previous Argentina Tango Salón Festival
The Tango Dancers who participated in the Argentina Tango Salón Festival 2020 (live)

During these 5 days of instruction and tango, we were presented with the schedule of activities will be distributed as follows:

  • On Thursday (13): Starting at 1:00 p.m. they will be giving classes with Carlos Espinoza and Agustina Piaggio at (“La Viruta” located in Armenia 1366 Palerm) and Juan Malizia and Manuela Rossi will also be at (“La Milonguita” located in Armenia 1353 Palermo), both until 17:15 hrs.
  • On Friday (14): Starting at 1:00 p.m. they will be giving classes with Roberto Zuccarino and Virginia Pandolfi in (“La Viruta” located in Armenia 1366 Palerm) and they will be in Fernando Carrasco and Jimena Hoeffner in (“La Milonguita” located in Armenia 1353 Palermo), both until 17:15 hrs.
  • On Saturday (15): Starting at 1:00 p.m. they will be giving classes with Facundo Piñero and Vanesa Villalba in (“La Viruta” located in Armenia 1366 Palerm) and they will be with Javier Rodriguez and Moira Castellano in (“La Milonguita” located in Armenia 1353 Palermo), both until 17:15 hrs.
  • On Sunday (16): Starting at 1:00 p.m. they will be giving classes with Sebastian Jimenez and Magdalena Valdez in (“La Viruta” located in Armenia 1366 Palerm) together with Daniel Nacucchio and Cristina Sosa in (“La Milonguita” located in Armenia 1353 Palermo), both until 5:15 p.m.
  • On Monday (17): Starting at 1:00 p.m. they will be giving classes with Christian Marquez and Virginia Gomez in (“La Viruta” located in Armenia 1366 Palerm) together with Dante Sanchez and Ines Muzzopappa in (“La Milonguita” located in Armenia 1353 Palermo), both until 5:15 p.m.
Argentina Tango Salón Festival 2022
Schedule of activities for the Argentina Tango Salón Festival 2022

If you want more details about the event, buy your tickets or send a personalized message, you can contact them and obtain more information through:

  • WebSite:
  • Facebook: @Argentina-Tango-Salon-Festival

In Buenos Aires I held the Tango Festival and World Cup 2021

Buenos Aires, Argentina, the place where the spirit of Tango was born, so when tourists visit this beautiful city they say that to get to know it you have to immerse yourself in the magic of dance.

 

Tango is a dance full of sensuality that was born during the 1800s, a musical style that results from the fusion between African culture and the local cultures of the gauchos and native peoples, in addition to the contribution of European immigrants –mainly, Spanish and Italian – and from the Middle East.

The elegant and passionate movement of tango shows the exotic cultural mix of the first tango dancers and the solemn melodies of this music offer the listener a glimpse into the lives of the first Argentine immigrants, and over time the tango later spread to the wealthier areas of Buenos Aires and at the beginning of the 20th century it became a sensation throughout Europe and the United States.

Photo of Tango Dancers
Tango dancers in Buenos Aires

For many years, Tango Festivals have been held in Buenos Aires every year, being a very attractive event for both national and foreign citizens, where many professional Tango dancers participate and compete and this year it is organized again by the Ministry of Culture of the City of Buenos Aires, Tango BA Festival and Mundial who announced the champions in the categories Tango de Pista and Tango Escenario which was filling the Buenos Aires center with magic with more than 4000 people who enjoyed it with the Obelisk on Diagonal Street North as part of the stage.

The Tango BA Festival and Mundial was held from September 16 to 26, where shows, tributes and the best dancers performed on stage; more than 400 couples from Argentina, Brazil, Russia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Spain, Romania, Poland, Malaysia, Turkey, United States, United Kingdom, China, Germany, Colombia, Indonesia, Ecuador, Mexico, Latvia, Georgia , Bolivia, Canada and Switzerland competed in the Tango de Pista and Tango Escenario categories in this edition of Tango BA Mundial.

The inauguration began on Thursday, September 16 at the Auditorium of the Usina del Arte at 7:30 p.m. where a tribute was made to maestro Aníbal Troilo (he was a bandoneonist, composer, orchestra conductor of Argentine tango) with the orchestral direction, arrangements and solo violin by Fabián Bertero, the special participation of the dancers Sandra Bootz and Gabriel Ortega, and the presence of notable guests such as the singer Sandra Luna and the pianist José “Pepe” Colangelo, the special production “Pichuqueando”.

Photo of the dance stage Buenos Aires
Dance stage for the Tango festival in Buenos Aires 2021

September 17:

  • Starting at 5 pm: the Carlos Gardel Museum presents the Fileteadoras Talk, by Patricia Berman and Claudia Medori and in turn an interview by Silvia Brunelli and Mercedes González Bracco.
  • At 6:00 pm: at the Abasto Shopping, the La Juan D’Arienzo Orchestra performed.
  • Starting at 7:00 p.m., Hernán Reinaudo presented his album Toro mañero in the Chamber Room of @usinadelarte
  • 7:30 pm: María Garay presented 80 years of Life and Song, in Concert, at the Auditorium of the Usina, which were an exciting celebration of her career, with Marcos & Louise, Champions of Tango de Pista 2020, as dancers, Also at the same time, “Eternamente Di Sarli” was presented with the Orquesta Típica Misteriosa Buenos Aires on the voice of Eliana Sosa, at the Amphitheater of Parque Centenario. With Carlos Rossi, as special guest, and Carla Rossi and José Luis Salvo, as guest dancers, not to mention that at the same time there was a class and exhibition by Soledad Rivero and Cristian Gallardo.

September 18th:

  • From 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Tango BA drinks the Historic Quarter. He toured one of the most emblematic areas of the City while enjoying concerts, guided tours, and dance shows. In addition, throughout the afternoon, “La Calle de la Música” came to life on a stage set up on the corner of Chile and Balcarce: where Ache Rey & Foul Envido Tango performed; Vanina Tagini & Gabriel Merlino Trío; Alfredo Piro and Profética y Fatal.
  • At 7:00 pm: Walter Ríos Quinteto presented El Tango y la Danza in the Amphitheater of Parque Centenario. A musical journey through the history of tango, from its origins to its contemporary expression.
  • At 8 pm: Cantá began at the Festival at the Carlos Gardel Cultural Space, with Alberto Bianco as host. Those who dare will be able to show their talent and love for tango on stage

September 19:

  • 12:30 pm: at the Usina del Arte, the Qualifying Rounds of the Tango World Cup were held, in the Tango Track Category.
  • 5:30 pm: in Sur en Vivo – Cultural Center – Milonga del Pueblo by Oscar Héctor, Cantá took place at the Festival, with Alberto Bianco as host. An open microphone for tango players who want to break it on stage.
  • 6:00 pm: The Emilio Balcarce Tango School Orchestra presented a tribute to Elvino Vardaro, the great senior violinist of tango, at the Centennial Park Amphitheater. Roberto Leiva & Valentina Cipollone will dance.

September 20:

  • 5 pm: Milonga Lo de Celia Photographic show Espíritu Milonguero, by Silvia Rojas and the magazine La Milonga Argentina.
  • 7 pm: Milonga Lo de Celia and there was a talk about the spirit of the Argentine milonga, with Silvia Rojas and guests.

September 21:

  • At 1 pm: in the Auditorium of the @usinadelarte (it is a unique space that brings together people from all over the world through the love of tango and dance) where all the qualifying rounds of the Dance World Cup were seen, in In the Stage Tango Category, here each couple presented themselves individually where they demonstrated all their talent to the whole world both live and on the web (internet)

September 22:

  • 6pm: The Milonga La Nacional begins with the presentation of My life in the milongas, by Oscar Héctor. The dancer, milonguero and organizer of spaces, portrays what he has experienced from the age of 9 to the present in the neighborhood clubs.
  • 8pm: Milonga El Beso and Hugo Mastrolorenzo presents his book: El tango ha died on stage. A dystopian tale about a robotic and cloned tango.

September 23:

  • A concert was held from Italy in tribute to Astor Piazzolla, and another from Japan with a repertoire of classics and new compositions

September 24:

  • There were classes and shows in emblematic milongas, proposals in cultural spaces, and the show Remembranzas, by Corporación Tango, in the Centennial Park Amphitheater. In addition, at the Usina del Arte, José Colangelo celebrated his 80 years with special guests: Gabriela Rey, Laura Colangelo and Fabián Bertero.
Photo of el Obelisco - The Tango BA Festival and Mundial 2021
Photo of the Obelisk on Diagonal Norte street

On September 25 and 26:

The grand finale of the BA Tango World Cup began, which will be enjoyed both live and through social networks from Vivamos Cultura; This final was very striking since for the first time the great stage set up was on Diagonal Norte, with the Obelisk in the background, giving it a unique image and experience, with different shows and tributes that filled the heart of the City with tango mysticism with:

  • Concert by the Sans Souci Orchestra, presented by Porteñisimo with the singers Emiliano Castignola and Walter “Chino” Laborde.
  • An emotional tribute was made to Juan Carlos Copes, who died this year, in which Johana Copes, his daughter, participated.
  • 32 couples took the stage to compete for 1st place in the Tango de Pista category.
  • Pablo Banchero accompanied by a guitar trio presented Serenatas de Arrabal.
  • The Sexteto Mayor, which together with Roxana Fontán, performed a repertoire with classic themes from all periods and compositions by contemporary authors.
  • The dancers María Nieves and Silvia Toscano, “La Cachorra”, met in a public talk in which María Nieves told the story of how she brought tango to the stage.
  • At the end, a tribute show to “Tango Argentino” was held, a show by Claudio Segovia and Héctor Orezzoli, which was decisive in the international recognition of tango. This tribute included exhibitions by important dancers such as Milena Plebs and Fernando Carrasco, Vanina Bilous and Javier Rodríguez, Guillermina Quiroga and Mariano Logiudice and Analía Morales and Gabriel Ponce. The general direction was in charge of Julio Zurita.
Dancing Tango at the Obelisk on Diagonal Norte street
The Obelisk on Diagonal Norte Street – The Tango BA Festival and Mundial 2021

And at the moment of the climax, a great emotion was experienced when Fernando Bravo finally announced the winners in each category, not to mention that the couple chosen by the public was awarded in celebration mode.

“The world champions to the couples formed by Agustín Agnez and Bárbara Ferreyra in Tango de Pista; and Emmanuel Casal and Yanina Muzyka in Stage Tango. ”

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many people could not be at this beautiful festival, so the organizers made a great gesture with all their followers and transmitted it live by streaming to the whole world on Vivamos Cultura and the Canal de la City with the conduction of the event was in charge of Carlitos Lin and the awards, in charge of Fernando Bravo, so that he would know how the event was going and they could enjoy it from the comfort and safety of their homes.

The winners of the Festival Tango BA and Mundial 2021- Photo
Tango BA Festival and World Cup 2021-
tango dance champions

If you want more details or videos of the event held:

  • Facebook: @FestivalesGCBA

The 9th Annual Melbourne Latin Festival

Australia / 

The 9th Annual Melbourne Latin Festival

A Celebration of Latin Dance 7, 8 & 9 April, 2017

Venue: Jason Coleman´s Ministry

The 9th Annual Melbourne Latin Festival 2017 - Flyers
The 9th Annual Melbourne Latin Festival 2017 – Flyers

Melbourne Latin Festival 2017 bringing you an even more exciting and entertainment weekend filled with: 3 Evenings of Latin Dance Shows & Parties, Over 150 Latin Dancers, 12 Latin DJ’s, 40 Dance Workshops Over 3 Days/Nights of fun!

The workshops are intended both for the complete novice as to the professional including Salsa, Bachata, Zouk, Samba, Cha Cha Cha, Argentine Tango, Kizomba, Lindy Hop and more…

The 9th Melbourne Latin Festival wil feature international sensation Frankie Martinez from USA back by popular demand, Frankie will again be divulging and sharing he’s talent and knowledge of Latin Dance.

We look forward to having this amazing inspirational artist amongst us again, as well as other interstate and local Latin artists. Saturday evening will have The Great Gatsby theme so dress in your best Gatsby costume and Lindy Hop and West Coast Swing genre’s will join in party to give it that extra Gatsby feel.

The 9th Annual Melbourne Latin Festival 2017 - Flyers 2
The 9th Annual Melbourne Latin Festival 2017 – Flyers 2

Schedule

Friday 4:00pm: Frankie Martinez Pachanga Masterclass 5:00pm: Performer Tech Rehearsal 8:00pm: Doors Open (Homeless Not Heartless Night) 8:30pm: Performance Shows 10:00pm: Social Dancing (West Cost Swing/Swing Room, Salsa Room, Bachata/Zouk Room)

Saturday 10:00am – 5:00pm: Workshops 2:00pm: Bachata Immersion Course 5:00pm: Tech Performance Rehearsal 8:00pm: Doors Open (The Great Gatsby Theme) 8:30pm: Performance Shows 10:00pm: Social Rooms (Salsa, Bachata/Zouk)

Sunday 10:00am – 5:00pm: Workshops 2:00pm: Samba Immersion Course 5:00pm: Tech Performance Rehearsal 8:00pm: Doors Open (Brazilian Theme – Wear White) 8:30pm: Performance Shows 10:00pm: Social Rooms (Salsa, Bachata/Zouk)

Featured guest

International Artist Frankie Martinez – USA

Frankie Martinez is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and renowned Latin contemporary dancers of his generation. To date, Frankie Martinez and ABAKUÁ Afro-Latin Dance Company have performed and taught in over 50 cities and over 20 countries worldwide.

They have performed at prestigious venues including Madison Square Garden, Roseland Ballroom, Lincoln Center, Aaron Davis Hall, Jacob’s Pillow and NY Summerstage amongst many others.

The 9th Annual Melbourne Latin Festival 2017 - Flyers 3
The 9th Annual Melbourne Latin Festival 2017 – Flyers 3

Master Class with Frankie Martinez

Afro and Body Movement and Isolation. Only 20 spots available Level: Intermediate/Advanced. Date: 7 April, 2017. Time: 4pm

Artists & Instructors

  • Alex Bryan – Flavoured Rhythm – VIC
  • Artia Zandian – NSW
  • Carlos & Elli – QLD
  • Debby Smits – QLD
  • Elka Eidelman – Loco Mojo – VIC
  • Izzy Washington – VIC
  • Jaime Jesus – NSW
  • Jose & May – QLD/Spain
  • Juan Carlos Ospina Sanchez – Colombia/VIC
  • Kadu Pires & Krin Bajough – NSW
  • Maxine & Akshar – Acontra – VIC
  • Mitch Billc & Ellicia McDonald – NSW
  • Nathan & Brocke – Melbourne
  • Paula Di Pietro (Hooked on Dance) – VIC
  • Pedro Gonzalez & Elysia Manger – VIC
  • Sasha Mazzeu – QLD
  • Sharon Pakir – Spin City Dance – VIC
  • Sherylanne – Salsa Republic – NSW
  • Silvi Milans – SA/Brasil
  • Sophie Contreras – VIC
  • Tomas Melgarejo – VIC

DJ’s

Salsa Main Room Dj Debilious (Qld) Dj Nathan Dj Carlos Galliano Dj Juan Carlos Ospina Dj Carlos Lopez

Zouk & Kizomba Room Dj Allan Dj Kadu Dj Mutati

Bachata Rooms Dj Kendrix – Bachata Beats Dj Alberto – Timberlero

SUPPORTING HOMELESS IN MELBOURNE

Each year Melbourne Latin Festival also support a great cause. In the past we have supported The Good Friday Appeal, Cancer Foundation, Leukemia Foundation and White Ribbon Foundation – violence against women.

In 2017 they have selected a local Melbourne base foundation Fare Share foundation.

The 9th Annual Melbourne Latin Festival 2017
The 9th Annual Melbourne Latin Festival 2017

To see more information: https://melbournelatinfestival.com.au/ FACEBOOK: MelbourneLatinFestival

To Book Online: https://melbournelatinfestival.com.au/buy-tickets/

Kadenza Dance School

Latin America / Argentina/ Buenos Aires

Kadenza Dance School is a dance academy located in Buenos Aires, Argentina. They don’t just teach people the steps of a musical rhythm; they demonstrate through their teaching that dancing nourishes the spirit of those who practice it. Not only that, but dance also allows for a connection with emotions, giving students more freedom for their spirit or soul.

KADENZA is a school geared toward students of all ages and with different goals, whether they wish to pursue a professional path or use dance as a form of recreation or therapy. All their students and teachers benefit from a comfortable reception area, spacious studios equipped with mirrors, barres, wooden floors, high-quality sound systems, and Wi-Fi throughout the studio. In short, it’s an ideal place to learn with passion, as the atmosphere is full of joy, respect, and good vibes, where one can enjoy what they love to do most… which is dancing.

Kadenza Dance School - Danza Jazz
Kadenza Dance School – Danza Jazz

They also state that they are seriously committed to the quality of instruction, where qualified professors and instructors give their best in every class. This ensures their students incorporate the essentials of each technique and develop the maximum potential of their learning in the rhythms chosen by the student.

The Directors: Yamila Larraura and Juan Pablo Villar

The School’s Directors are Yamila Larraura and Juan Pablo Villar, who mention that, “Anyone can open an Academy, but few are the ones that make a difference.”

If we want to know more about the history of these two directors, we can start with Yamila Larraura, who was born in Argentina. Since she was a child, she began listening to Afro-Latin music thanks to her father, “Jorge Washington Larraura,” who was of Uruguayan origin. When she was 14, she went on vacation to Villa Gesell with her parents and a friend of theirs. It was on this trip that her interest in Salsa was awakened, as she went to a place near the beach that played Salsa music and offered classes in the afternoon with all the people from the beach.

One of the songs heard back then was “El Muerto se fue de Rumba” by the group “Las Sabrosas Zarigüellas,” which was very catchy for everyone who heard it. After her vacation, she decided to enroll in Salsa classes, where her teachers were Pablo Demaro and Kimena Puente.

As for Juan Pablo Villar, during his youth, he worked as a waiter in a bar and took theater classes, which also included lessons in national folklore and Latin rhythms (Salsa). This was his first contact with dance, and from that moment, he developed an interest in it. One day, a person came to the bar and mentioned that they taught classes in a studio, asking if they could leave flyers at the bar for people who wanted to dance. Knowing this, Juan Pablo Villar decided to go to the Salsa classes taught by Professor Pablo Demaro.

Kadenza Dance School - Social
Kadenza Dance School – Social

They explain that the Salsa classes back then were in a Cuban style, which featured fairly simple movements and figures. It was in these very classes that the future directors of KADENZA, Juan Pablo Villar and Yamila Larraura, first met.

The Journey to Kadenza

To gain a better experience, and to teach and give classes, they had to learn new techniques. They decided to seek out the best teachers in Argentina, who at that time were from the “Escuela de Mambo en Dos,” led by teachers Liz Paredes and Carlos Aragón, until they moved to Italy in 2007.

Afterward, they formed a dance group with their colleagues called “Combo Bayres,” during which time they toured the country and performed on various stages. In 2007, Liz Paredes and Carlos Aragón returned from Italy and formed the “Compañía Mambo en Dos,” where Yamila Larraura and Juan Pablo Villar joined the project. They gained great experience in the artistic world, traveling to different Argentine cities like Mar del Plata, Rosario, among others.

They also had the opportunity to travel abroad, attending the Salsa Congress in Uruguay, and later going to the United States, to New York City, to present at the Salsa Congress where they met great dance legends like Eddie Torres. Another great experience they had was the honor of being the official dancers for the famous Venezuelan Salsa singer “Oscar D’León” and the Dominican Salsero José Alberto, also known as “El Canario.” By 2010, they left the Mambo en Dos company to start their own school.

The academy’s beginning went without a name for a year, simply referred to as Pablo and Yamila’s school, but they were always looking for a name that would identify the essence they wished to convey. They eventually came up with “Cadenza,” which in Italian means “style of free rhythms.” To make the name more original, they changed it to “KADENZA,” feeling proud of their choice.

Kadenza Dance School - Mambo, Salsa, Bachata, Tango, Urbano, Arabe
Kadenza Dance School – Mambo, Salsa, Bachata, Tango, Urbano, Arabe

Contact Information

For more information, contact them at:

  • Website: http://www.kadenza.com.ar
  • Facebook:escueladebaile
  • Phones: 5354-0957 / 15-3331-7875
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/106664874547676369685
  • Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-he58RYqrJwoxoH8OID3ZA

 

Creator of Afro-Rican Jazz William Cepeda talks about this subgenre

When we talk about the best characteristics of Puerto Rican artists, innovation is definitely one of them, and our guest is an excellent example of this. Grammy nominee and composer William Cepeda was born and raised in Loiza, known as the heart of “Little Africa” in Puerto Rico, so we can sense that this had much to do with his later artistic inclinations. We will talk about this and other things in the next paragraphs of this gripping story. 

Musician William Cepeda
This is Puerto Rican Grammy nominee, composer, and musician William Cepeda

What got William interested in music

The environment in which William grew up had everything to do with his interest in music as a serious profession. In Loiza, Puerto Rican bomba was one of the most listened genres by the community, and cultural events based on it were passed down through generations. It was there that a very young William began attending the colloquially known as “bombazos” and connecting with this music from an early age.

Practically the whole town was involved in these traditions, including his family, so he could not escape all these activities carried out year after year. In fact, his grandparents and some of his uncles and cousins were musicians, so it was common for the young boy to see them play their instruments and know what that was about.

When he turned 14, he finally began seriously studying music, especially the theory part. Although one of his options to study was accounting, this career would never overcome his enormous taste for music, so he never materialized this interest.

How William got started professionally in music 

While still an inexperienced teenage musician, William started playing percussion with some local groups, one of them being La Orquesta Zodiac, composed of a group of salsa veterans with more than 50 years of professional experience. Although these gigs were already paid, the young man still saw music as a side hobby. 

However, long time later, he would completely change his mind after noticing that his skills and opportunities could take him further than he thought possible.

William Cepeda at the festival
William Cepeda at the Luminato Festival in Toronto

Afro-Rican Jazz

Having already a more or less consolidated career, William was part of the invention of Afro-Rican Jazz, which can be defined as a concept that celebrates Puerto Rico’s heritage and its African roots while offering a new version of the jazz that everyone knew, giving it a touch of modern flavor that was absolutely innovative for the time. 

Growing up in an environment where traditional Puerto Rican music was so present and having experience only with local groups, he still had a long way to go as an artist. His outlook started to broaden by going to study at Berklee in Boston and then to do a master’s degree in New York, which in turn led him to play with American groups and musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, James Brown, Miriam Makeba, and many other famous jazz musicians.

Gillespie became one of his biggest mentors when playing with him and his group The United Nations Orchestra, which included Cuban, Colombian, Dominican, Panamanian, and Brazilian musicians. It was precisely because of this great diversity of nationalities and influences that the orchestra received this name. However, there were no Puerto Rican musicians or music, so Gillespie gave William the opportunity to become the youngest member and create a subgenre product of a mixture of jazz and some styles from his place of origin. 

William told us that many Boricuan musicians used to play Latin jazz based on Cuban music, but none of them had ever ventured to create a subgenre of jazz with a Puerto Rican base. That was when the artist realized that something had to be done about it, so he chose to fuse jazz with Puerto Rican music and later named his group Afro-Rican Jazz.

He also continued to experiment with genres until he found something he called “Plena jazz,” the name he used for one of his albums and the result of mixing plena, another traditional genre born in the neighborhoods of Puerto Rico, and jazz. He also made a symphonic rumba album at the time. 

William Cepeda and his doctorate
William Cepeda receiving his honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music

Dizzy Gillespie’s protégé

Although William was influenced by a number of artists, when we check out his story his history, there is no denying that the South Carolinian trumpeter was the greatest influence and role model for the young man. 

With respect to this stage of his life, William recalls with affection that Dizzy was always very attentive to his development within the group, to the point that he came to see him as an artistic father. As we said before, he knew nothing about jazz or American music when he left Puerto Rico, but Dizzy and his musicians were “a second university” where he learned what no educational institution could teach him, something he thanks to them.

“Dizzy saw talent in me, so he always pushed me to be better every day. He encouraged me, protected me, and guided me in my development as a musician,” he said of his teacher.

Artists he has collaborated with

William has collaborated with countless great Latin artists such as Celia Cruz, Rubén Blades, Eddie Palmieri, Tito Puente, Marc Anthony, Oscar D’León, and many others. Most of these contacts came about thanks to references of acquaintances, combined with the percussionist becoming known to the public for some time, which generated many recommendations. 

All the above artists also influenced him to a certain extent, but he also says that he liked and still likes other genres such as classical music, jazz, the folklore of other countries, and many others.

Read also: Argentine tango bassist and Latin Grammy winner Pedro Giraudo returned to his roots

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International Salsa Magazine (ISM) is a monthly publication about Salsa activities around the world, that has been publishing since 2007. It is a world network of volunteers coordinated by ISM Magazine. We are working to strengthen all the events by working together.