El Taller Latino Americano, Live Jazz, World and Latin American music in New York

El Taller Latino Americano
The Latin American Workshop

Home

Broadway Uptown Music
Spring-Summer 2004

2710 Broadway (corner of 104th)
(212) 665-9460

Tickets: $10 (unless otherwise noted)

Wednesday, August 25, 2004 at 10pm Grupo Miguelito

Singer /songwriter Michael La Morte's combo "Grupo Miguelito" returns to El Taller.

Consisting of core members Thomas Aldrich (Accordion), Pedro Williamson (Bajo), Guy Finley (congas), Claudia Chopek (Violin), Don DiPalo (Drums/Percussion), Eddie Zweiback (Bongos/Percussion and Michael on Guitar and Cuatro, the group hits a mark somewhere between the bolero/flamenco stylings of mid 1970's Jose Feliciano and the modern energy of Manu Chau. The songs, some in Spanish and some in English, are rooted in a folkloric background with topics of devotion and struggle at the forefront, while others like "Sr. Marti", (an homage to famed Cuban poet Jose Marti) are festive as well as thought provoking.

Doors will open as soon as Salsa classes end.

Celebrities Shouldn't Have Children
CANCELLED

MALÚ HUACUJA DEL TORO, Author Her audience likes comedy. In English, she was selected as a finalist of the 2002 Arts & Letters Prizes in Fiction with her humorous short story Diabolical Compassion. In Spanish, she has been a professional author for 18 years. She writes novels, theater plays, and screenplays. Ms. Huacuja del Toro worked from 1990 to 1995 with the renowned theater director Jesusa Rodríguez, who recently won a special citation from The Village Voice Obie Awards. She wrote over 30 cabaret shows for Ms. Rodríguez, political satires, a rendition of King Lear (also published) and a play, Cielo de Abajo (The Sky Below) which was first performed in 1993 at the Europalia Festival in Belgium, and subsequently in Paris, Montevideo and Chicago.

Malú Huacuja del Toro was born in Mexico City in 1961. She has sold satirical, fiction and crime stories for TV and radio programs in Mexico. As a TV script writer, she’s the author of the first “anti-soap opera” that has been broadcast on Mexican TV. It was a parody of Latino soap operas and the Mexican star system. The movie El Amor de tu Vida S.A. (The Love of Your Life Inc.), based on her original screenplay, won the Audience Award during the film festival Semana de Cine Iberoamericano, in 1997.

Her novel Un Dios para Cordelia (A God for Cordelia) was just produced in NYC by Recorded Books, to be distributed in public libraries as an audio book in Spanish (related information is on the Web Page www.antilibros.com).

LEONARD ZELIG, Director ACE award winner in 2004 as a Producer, is founder and Artistic Director of Water People Theater Company, established in New York in 2002 and which he made his debut with Deranged Chronicles, showed at the 2003 International Fringe Festival in NYC. In Venezuela, his home country, he has participated in more than forty plays, as actor, producer and director. In the last two years he has directed Waiting for Godot by Samuel Becket, A Day like Any Other by Dario Fo and Franca Rame, The Night of Murderers by Jose Triana and Fly-By by Alfonso Vallejo, among others, all very well received by the critics and Venezuelan audiences.

In New York Zelig has directed several readings for IATI, including Historia Cotidiana by Arístides Falcón, Amor con Amor se Paga by José Martí and Corrientes by Jorge Carrigan. He also directed An Empty Shoe Box by Virgilio Piñera for Retablo Hispanic Theater in July of 2003, for what he earned an ACE nomination as Best Director that year.

Friday, August 13, 2004 at 8pm Mister Vivo Big Band, Latin Jazz

'This 13 piece Big Band showcases compositions which combine Pedro Giraudo's love of Argentine Chacarera and Tango; the music of Bach; and the spontaneity of jazz improvisation.

As a bassist and/or arranger Pedro Giraudo has performed with Pablo Ziegler, Marco Granados, William Cepeda, Hector Del Curto's Eternal Tango, and Fernando Otero's X-Tango.

Mr. Vivo has performed widely in the United States and China.

For more information check out http://www.mrvivo.com and http://www.cdbaby.com/giraudo.

Saturday, July 24, 2004 at 9pm
Canto Sur with Bernardo Palombo and Mochi Parra

El Taller's own Bernardo Palombo and Mochi Parra will liven El Taller this evening with Canto Sur, a concert of typical rhythms of the Southern Continent. The concert will include traditional songs and original compositions.

Carlos Hayre, master of the Peruvian guitar, Perico Díaz, Peruvian percussionist, Martin Simon native of Slovakia, guitarist, composer and improviser and Caroline Drouin, singer from Canada, will be among the musicians that will accompany Mochi and Palombo.

Tickets: $13 -- Taller students:$7

Friday, July 9, 2004 at 8pm: Los Changos

Los Changos' music mixes jazz concepts with argentine folk rhythms. The group started performing in the U.S.A. in 1998. Since then they have participated in many concerts and festivals in east coast including: XIII° International Folk Festival (Boston, MA); III° & IV° Argentina Jazz Festival (New York, NY); II°,III° & IV° Latin Culture Week (Boston, MA). The group has toured Argentina in two opportunities. In 2001 the trio released their first CD called "Desde el Norte" (BigSur Records). In 2003 Los Changos released "Anit Negra" (BigSur Records) , their first CD as a septet. Los Changos play Julio A. Santillán's compositions and arrangements. Some of the rhythms they perform are: Chacarera, Zamba, Vidala, Tango, Huayno, Milonga and Candombe.

La música de Los Changos mezcla ritmos argentinos con conceptos de jazz. El grupo se formó en U.S.A. en 1998. Desde entonces ha tocado en numeros conciertos y festivales como: XIII° International Folk Festival (Boston); III° & IV° Argentina Jazz Festival (New York); II°,III° & IV° Latin Culture Week (Boston). El grupo estuvo de gira por Argentina en dos oportunidades. En 2001 el trio editó su primer album "Desde el Norte" (BigSur Records). En 2003, Los Changos editaron "Anit Negra" (BigSur Records) , su primer disco como septeto. Los Changos tocan composiciones y arreglos de Julio A. Santillán. Algunos de los ritmos que tocan: Chacarera, Zamba, Vidala, Tango, Huayno, Milonga y Candombe.

For more information and to hear their music, check out their web page at www.juliosantillan.com

Sunday, June 27, 2004: 3 to 8pm
Canto a La Vida -- A Special Benefit to Honor Jose Valdes

A special matinee benefit
celebrating the songs of José Valdes

With performances by
José Valdes and Friends

All proceeds from this performance will go towards the treatment and recovery of José Valdes

In support of Jose Valdes, El Taller announces a celebration of his words and music to be held on Sunday, June 27, 2004 at 3 p.m. Your participation is welcomed and encouraged, and this coming together promises to be a beautiful afternoon and evening of music and poetry...

As some of you may know, Jose is undergoing treatment for multiple myeloma (bone cancer). This includes radiation and chemotherapy, as well as travel to and from Augusta, Georgia, to consult with multiple myeloma specialists.

Your generosity is appreciated at this crucial juncture as we are presently at a point where the hope for extending and improving the quality of Jose Valdes' life is still a concrete possibility... with your help. Come to enjoy and create beautiful sounds with us and contribute to the José Valdes Health Fund.

En apoyo a José Valdes, El Taller anuncia una celebración de sus canciones y música que tendrá lugar el domingo 27 de junio a las 3 p.m. Se encarece la presencia de todos ustedes a esta reunión que sin duda será una hermosa tarde de música y poesía...

Como tal vez algunos de ustedes ya sepan, José está siendo tratado por mieloma múltiple (cáncer de hueso). El tratamiento incluye radiación y quimioterapia, y también viajes entre Nueva York y Augusta, Georgia, para consultas con un especialista de mieloma múltiple.

Se agradece de antemano su generosidad en este momento crucial en el que nos encontramos, en el que la esperanza de prolongar y mejorar la calidad de vida de José es todavía una posibilidad concreta... con la ayuda de ustedes. Vengan a disfrutar y hacer buena música con nosotros y contribuyan al José Valdes Health Fund.

Wednesday, June 23, 2004 at 9pm Grupo Miguelito

Singer /songwriter Michael La Morte's combo "Grupo Miguelito" returns to El Taller for the second of four monthly concerts.

Monday, June 21, 2004 at 9pm MUERTE , A Staged Reading

A staged reading of the play, MUERTE
Written and directed by María Morett
with poetry and songs by
Jaime Sabines, Juan Rulfo, Violeta Parra, María Morett and Carlo Bernal
Original music by Pablo Flores
English translation by Debbie Saivetz
with Mando Alvarado, Jose Aranda, Vanessa Aspillaga (featured in the Broadway show Anna in the Tropics), Michael Escamilla and Lindy Gomez

Taller Students: $5 -- Others: $10
Andres, el Mojado, and el Coyote try to cross the border in search of a better life but instead meet up with death. They live through death in order to be born into the light, on the other side. The life-or-death struggle of the Mexican people, accompanied by songs, poetry, pre-Hispanic dances, danzon and lucha libre.

"Sweet, tender, bitter, nostalgic, painful, distressing, combative but also redemptive, even playful. Death is paid tribute by life in the voices, bodies and images of the group Me xihc co Teatro who combine theater, dance, music and rappeling techniques in a multidisciplinary work that is irresistibly crowd-pleasing. To encounter death head-on as, an angel literally falls from the heavens, was more than enough for the audience, who filled the Espacio Aire Libre del Teatro de la Ciudad, to forget the world for a few minutes."

Silvia Ruano, El Norte, Monterrey

"MUERTE is a fine example of Latin American street theater. In this stunning piece set amid a ring of crosses, Me xihc co Teatro evokes not only Death -- central to Mexican culture -- but also life and hope. . . . Even if you don't understand Spanish, you will feel the impact of this powerful spectacle and be bowled over by the visual images."

David Lipfert, A CurtainUp Report, 2000 New York International Fringe Festival

Saturday, June 19, 2004 at 8pm: Marta Gómez

Marta Gómez started the year 2003 opening for Blues-folk artist Bonnie Raitt and grammy winner John Mayer at the Orpheum Theater in Boston and in September she participated as the special guest for Argentinean singer Mercedes Sosa. Now, the young Berklee alumni Colombian singer , comes to "El Taller" to offer a show composed entirely of orginal compositions incorporating jazz and pop elements into the folkloric roots of South America. The Boston Globe called her show "A piece of South America brought by a world-class singer full of passion".

Marta started her musical studies at the age of six in her native Colombia when she entered the Liceo Benalcazar choir, being its soloist for ten years. In 1993 Marta moved to the capital of her country to continue her musical studies at the Javeriana University and In the summer of 1999 she entered the Berklee College of Music where she received the "Best Achievement Scholarship" and the "Alex Ulanowsky" composition award before graduating magna cum laude under the Professional Music degree program. with more than 70 composed songs, She has also developed an extensive studio career recording for radio and TV for more than ten years in her native Colombia, and three years in the States.

In 2001 Marta recorded her first CD, Marta Gómez, and in her second CD, Solo es vivir, the singer and songwriter not only traverses a whole range of Colombian cumbias and bambucos, Argentine zambas, Cuban sones and Peruvian landos, but also writes the kind of melodies and refrains that translate across whatever language she is singing in. In March of 2003, Marta´s song "Paula Ausente" based on the book "Paula" by Isabel Allende, won the The SIBL Project International songwriting contest as the best song inspired by a South American book.

Friday, June 18, 2004 at 9pm: The Jamie Begian Big Band

The Jamie Begian Big Band is a seventeen-piece big band, founded in 1998 to perform the original music of award-winning composer/conductor Jamie Begian. After its debut at El Taller on February 18, 1999, The Band went on to perform at such notable venues as The Knitting Factory and The Cutting Room in New York, and the 2003 International Association of Jazz Education Annual Conference in Toronto, Ontario.

In its five years of existence it has considerably honed its unique sound and is widely regarded as one of the most original bands in New York. The Village Voice has called it "some of the most gorgeous post-Gil hues in recent memory." TimeOut NY praises it as "a crack large ensemble" while All About Jazz labeled it "a rigorous encounter with the entire history of eclectic big band composition" The band is made up of some of the finest musicians in New York including John O'Gallagher (alto), Matt Shulman (trumpet), Roberta Piket (piano) and Deborah Weisz (trombone); all committed to both the power and delicacy that Mr. Begian's music demands.

To read more about Jamie and the band, check out their web site at www.jamiebegian.com.

Friday, May 28, 2004 at 9pm: Los Trovadores

Los Trovadores' repetoire includes music from the "Nueva Trova Cubana," including songs from Silvio Rodriguez and Pablo Milanes as well as country music and Argentine music. The group has been featured at Carlitos, cafe and gallery here in New York.

Julio Santillan (guitar), originally from Tucuman, Argentina studied at and graduated from Berklee. Mauro Satalino (drums), also an alumnus of Berklee, is originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Bernardo Neville (voice) is a singer from Tucuman, Argentina.
Bernardo Neville (voice)
Julio Santillan (guitar),
Mauro Satalino (Drums).

Friday, May 21, 2004 at 9pm: The Jamie Begian Big Band

Wednesday, May 19, 2004 at 9pm Grupo Miguelito

Singer /songwriter Michael La Morte's combo "Grupo Miguelito" returns to El Taller for the first of four monthly concerts.

Consisting of core members Jason Fratichelli (contra bajo), Guy Finley (guitar/timbali's), Eddie Zweibak (bongos/percussion) and Michael on guitar and cuatro, the group hits a mark somewhere between the bolero/flamenco stylings of mid 1970's Jose Feliciano and the modern energy of Manu Chau. The songs, some in Spanish and some in English, are rooted in a folkloric background with topics of devotion and struggle at the forefront, while others like "Sr. Marti", (an homage to famed Cuban poet Jose Marti) are festive as well as thought provoking.

The concert will start as soon as Salsa classes end.

Saturday, May 15, 2004 at 8pm: Los Changos

Sunday, April 25, 2004, 1 to 4 pm: Julio Alvarado

Julio Alvarado will present his new book of poetry in Spanish, Fiesta Rota published by Editora Nacional (República Dominicana).

Special invited guests will include German Jaramillo, Guillermo Cárdenas, David Cortés Cabán, and Orlando José Hernández.

Saturday, April 24, 2004 at 8pm: Samuel Torres and Band

This six-piece contemporary Latin American Jazz Ensemble will showcase the work of Samuel Torres who has been gaining recognition in the U.S. since arriving from his native Colombia in 1998. At present, Samuel is performing regularly with multi-award winner, Cuban trumpet player Arturo Sandoval and worldwide renown African bassist and singer Richard Bona. Samuel has appeared with such musical stars as Tito Puente, Chick Corea, Michael Brecker, The Boston Pops, Los Angeles Philarmonic amongst others. He was awarded Second Place at the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition 2000 and recently composed the music and produced the instructional DVD entitled "Drum Solos Revisited" for the musical instrument manufacturer Latin Percussion-LP which will be distributed by Warner Brothers worldwide.

Featuring:
Julia Dollison, voice
Ernesto Simpson, drums
Robert Rodriguez, piano
Mike Rodriguez, trumpet
Armando Gola, bass
Samuel Torres, percussion

Friday, April 23, 2004 at 9pm: The Jamie Begian Big Band

Saturday, April 17,2004 at 9pm: Bruce Lee

BRUCE LEE is an improvising quartet formed over four years ago between friends and enemies, dedicated to balancing the most fearsome and fragile sounds and rhythms. Their original compositions draw upon the light and shadow of photographs, folk melodies, dramatic text and poetry, sampled sounds, and games played by young children. Their arrangements develop music by Rickie Lee Jones, Mos Def, Rachmanninoff, Jeff Buckley and Bjork. As improvisers, they use tones and technology to gradually sculpt silence and vibrations into complete musical statements. Looking beyond typical instrumentalist roles, BRUCE LEE finds hidden ways toward lush textures, ancient melodies and insurgent beats. Their music is both demanding and accessible, highly structured from the outset but evidenced through a wide language of improvisation.

They are currently looking to release their new double-disc album SECOND SEVEN AND ONE, which also features programmer Alex Epton (Zero Zero), vocalist Eric Biondo (Antibalas), 6-string electric bassist Drew Waters (Tiffany Mills Dance Company) and pianist Kris Davis (Tony Malaby).

Band members include: JESSE NEUMAN (acoustic and processed trumpet/laptop), OSCAR RODRIGUEZ (guitar/synth bass & bass guitar/loops), LIAM HURLEY (drums/percussion) and AARON JENNINGS (guitar/electronics/laptop).

BRUCE LEE believes that to fight holding a weapon is far less effective than to fight empty handed; to concentrate on using a weapon is far less effective than to use one's entire body.

To learn more about BRUCE LEE, check out their new web site at http://BRUCELEEBAND.COM .

Tuesday, April 13, 2004: 6:45 - 8:00 PM
CELEBRATION OF LIFE -- AN OPEN INVITATION

Everyone is invited to this special event marking Turizzo's 30-year retrospective. It celebrates both the art of Turizzo and the message of peace and hope that underlies much of his work.

Videos, Live Music, Refreshments
Spanish Translation Available
Free Admission
Turizzo was born in Cartagena, Colombia in 1952. He discovered his artistic abilities in childhood when he began to paint images of natural settings. His first exhibit was in his home city in 1972. In 1973, he came into contact with someone who was to have a profound influence on his life and art. This man, Maharaji, offered a practical way of achieving inner peace and the lifelong relationship that ensued brought about a transformation that filters through to Turizzo's art. Some have observed that an inner light appears to illuminate his canvases, radiating a sense of hope, happiness, and serenity.

Turizzo moved to New York in 1981. His paintings have been seen and sold in many countries including the United States, Colombia, England, Spain, Monaco, and Switzerland, as well as others throughout South and Central America. In 2003 alone, he exhibited at the Colombian Consulate, the New York Public Library, and the Art Expo International in the Jacob Javits Center. He has also created murals for public spaces. Notably in 1998, a mural created for the MTA was transferred to the front lobby of Hostos Community College.

The artist lives in Yonkers where he continues to celebrate and explore his personal understanding of life through the rich colors and textures of his art.

Check out his Exhibit at El Taller.

Friday, April 9, 2004 at 6:30pm:
Mario A Murillo, reading from his new book
Colombia and the United States--War, Unrest, and Destabilization

Seven Stories Press and WBAI 99.5 Pacifica Radio present:
Radio veteran and Colombia specialist Mario A Murillo, reading from his new book, Colombia and the United States--War, Unrest, and Destabilization

Free admission
Refreshments will be served

Mario Murillo explores the misdirected and devastating impact that U.S. military "aid" continues to have on the war torn-people of Colombia. Beginning with a brief history of Colombia, Murillo analyzes the complex forces driving Colombia's current decades-old guerilla war, U.S. involvement, media perceptions, and possible paths to peace. Whether it has been the U.S.-led war against "drug trafficking," the newly constituted "war against terrorism," or, as we have seen over the last two years, a convenient marriage of the two, the main effect has been to allow the U.S. to further expand its role in Colombia. Murillo describes Colombia's history of institutionalized corruption, state neglect, far-reaching poverty, and political violence and how they precede by decades the introduction and expansion of the drug trade.

Mario Alfonso Murillo is a professor at the School of Communication at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, and teaches media studies courses at New York University. A veteran radio journalist, he has reported extensively about Colombia and Latin America, producing award-winning programs and documentaries for the Pacifica Radio Network and National Public Radio. He is author of Islands of Resistance: Puerto Rico, Vieques, and U.S. Policy (2001). He lives in New York City.

Read more about the book on the Seven Seas web site or call (212) 226-8760

Tuesday, April 6, 2004 at 6:30pm:
A God for Cordelia (Un dios para Cordelia) by Malú Huacuja del Toro

Plaza y Valdes and Recorded Books Presents
A God for Cordelia (Un dios para Cordelia) by Malú Huacuja del Toro

Renowned Actor Monica Steuer will read an except from the book and Singer and Instrumentalist Mochi Parra will sing the song "A God for Cordelia"
The Editors will also be present

Free admission
Refreshments will be served
(Come practice your Spanish!)
The Story: Mexico City in the not too distant future - the largest city in the world, a lawless universe were Gods are created by humans instead of the other way around. A God for Cordelia is the Mexican science fiction version of Milli Vanilli's fraudulent fame. VideoFriendship, Inc. (Videoamistad S.A.) is directing all aspects of cultural life. To control people's minds the "videoson" is used, an omnipresent device that transmits aggressive "videocumbias", stupid music and commercials to the population every minute of every hour of every day. Cordelia, a famous videoson star who can't sing on key, will try to kill her double Iris, whose beautiful voice threatens her and the entire music-production system. A God for Cordelia was first published in Mexico in 1995 and quickly became the most popular title penned by Malú. Today it is used in university classes and in highschools as standard reading and it continues to sell out all printings. Audio Books will release A God for Cordelia in audio format in the United States, voiced by Monica Steuer. Plaza y Valdes has reprinted the book again for Mexican and international readers.

Malu del Toro book

Malú Huacuja del Toro , author, playwright and screenwriter, was born in Mexico City in 1961 and is considered one of the "most irreverent voices" of Mexican un-official culture. Her first novel Crimen sin faltas de ortografía (Crime without Spelling Mistakes) was published when she was 25 year old and it was judged best finalist in the Plaza & Janés First International Crime Novel Competition in Spanish. It was also translated and published by the Italian company Hobby& Work. The book is a parody of crime novels. Ms. Huacuja del Toro worked from 1990 to 1995 as a playwright for the renowned theater director Jesusa Rodríguez, who recently won a special citation from The Village Voice Obie Awards. She wrote over 30 cabaret shows, political satires, a rendition of King Lear (also published) and a play, Cielo de Abajo (The Sky Below) which was first performed in 1993 at the Europalia Festival in Belgium, and subsequently in Paris, Montevideo and Chicago. She has sold satirical, fiction and crime stories for TV and radio programs in Mexico. The movie El Amor de Tu Vida S.A. (The Love of Your Life Inc.), directed by Leticia Venzor, based on Malú's original screenplay, won the Audience Award during the film festival Semana de cine iberoamericano, in 1997.

Visit www.Antilibros.com for more information about Malú Huacuja del Toro and her work. Or, for more information about this event write to malhdt@antilibros.com or call (917) 378-7490.

Saturday, March 27, 2004 at 7pm: Luca Mundaca

Luca Mundaca grew up in a little town south of Sao Paulo, Brazil. At the age of 15 she decided that she was going to play the guitar and sing. She came to New York in 1999 with her guitar and many dreams. Her native language is Portuguese, but it doesn't matter whether you speak it or not, her voice is mesmerizing and will draw you in completely. Her lyrics are positive and uplifting and full of love, and you are sure to feel this energy as you listen. Over the years, she has written some 200 songs.

Luca says, "there is nothing better than playing in a bar that's full of people talking and laughing. I start to play my guitar and it gets a little quieterthen, as soon as I start to sing, the place goes almost silent. I love to see how my music draws people in and I can see the pleasure on their faces"

"Luca Mundaca is a gifted young singer and songwriter. Luca's music is a glorious blend of her native Brazil with a touch of downtown New York. She mines the deep melodic roots of her country's heritage, creating musical gems that she polishes with the lightest of touches. A talent to watch." Tom Evered, General Manager and Senior Vice-President, Capitol Jazz and Classics

"Luca Mundaca is a singer and songwriter whose work I have been aware of since she arrived in NYC. Her abilities are unlimited; she has a stunning voice of great intimacy and emotion, and her songwriting is first rate." Seth Rothstein, VP Marketing, Sony Legacy

Saturday, March 20, 2004 at 8pm: Los Changos

Friday, March 19, 2004 at 9pm: The Jamie Begian Big Band

Saturday, February 28, 2004 at 9pm:
The Songmakers/Noche de Compositores

Tickets: $20
Tickets on sale at El Taller office
(Space is limited so buy your tickets ahead of time!)

A night of music with four talented composer/musicians:
Bernardo Palombo
Milady
Victor Hernandez
Yorsi
PLUS many invited guests

Friday, February 27, 2004 at 8pm:
A Night of Bohemia with Katalina Segura
Performing Unpublished Songs by Sylvia Rexach

Born in Puerto Rico, Katalina Segura graduated from the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico with a concentration in cello. But her love for popular music and singing grew as she frequently participated in bohemian nights at home. Currently she lives in Germany where she started her career as a singer having presented herself in venues like: Bonn Altes Parlament, Siegburg Staatsmuseum, Düsseldorf Kunstsammlung Nordheinwestfallen, among others, and various jazz clubs. Katalina just recorded in Puerto Rico a CD with unpublished songs by Sylvia Rexach in collaboration with Jaime Umpierre, son of Tutti Umpierre, musical partner and co-author of some of Sylvia Rexach’s songs.

Born on January 22, 1921, poetess and songwriter Sylvia Rexach became one of the best composers of popular music of her generation. Sylvia devoted her life to music, playing piano, saxophone and guitar. But she found her real talent lay in poetry and songwriting. Among her most famous songs are "Olas y Arenas", "Matiz de Amor", "Di Corazón", "Alma Adentro" y "Nave sin Rumbo", among others. Rexach founded a musical band called "Las Damiselas" which enjoyed great success in Puerto Rico at its time. She was also co-founder of the "Sociedad de Redactores y Músicos de Puerto Rico" and also wrote a column for the Puerto Rican newspaper "El Diario de Puerto Rico" called "A sotto voce".

Katalina Segura nació en Puerto Rico y se graduó del Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico con una concentración en violonchelo. Fue durante aquellas inolvidables noches de bohemia en las que participó de adolescente y descubrió su pasión por el canto y por la música popular. Actualmente vive en Alemania donde comenzó su carrera como cantante presentándose en diversas salas como: Bonn Altes Parlament, Siegburg Staatsmuseum, Düsseldorf Kunstsammlung Nordheinwestfallen, así como en diversos clubes de Jazz. En Puerto Rico acaba de grabar un Disco Compacto con canciones inéditas de Sylvia Rexach en colaboración con Jaime Umpierre, hijo de Tutti Umpierre, compañero musical y coautor de varias canciones de Sylvia Rexach.

Sylvia Rexach, poetisa y compositora puertorriqueña, nació en Santurce, Puerto Rico el 22 de enero de 1921, llegando a convertirse en una de las mejores compositoras de música popular de su generación. Sylvia dedico su vida a la música, tocando piano, saxofón y guitarra. Sin embargo, descubrió que su verdadero talento era la poesía y la composición. Entre sus canciones mas conocidas se encuentran: "Olas y arenas", "Matiz de Amor", "Di Corazón", "Alma Adentro" y "Nave sin Rumbo", entre otras. Rexach formo una banda musical llamada "Las Damiselas" la cual alcanzo gran éxito en Puerto Rico. Fue miembro fundador de la Sociedad de Redactores y Músicos de Puerto Rico y también escribió una columna para el periódico puertorriqueño "El Diario de Puerto Rico" titulada "A sotto voce".

Saturday, February 21, 2004 at 8pm:
Marta Gómez

Friday, February 20, 2004 at 9pm
Grupo Miguelito

February 20, marks the Taller debut of singer /songwriter Michael La Morte's combo "Grupo Miguelito". Consisting of core members Jason Fratichelli (contra bajo), Guy Finley (guitar/timbali's), Eddie Zweibak (bongos/percussion) and Michael on guitar and cuatro, the group hits a mark somewhere between the bolero/flamenco stylings of mid 1970's Jose Feliciano and the modern energy of Manu Chau. The songs, some in Spanish and some in English, are rooted in a folkloric background with topics of devotion and struggle at the forefront, while others like "Sr. Marti", (an homage to famed Cuban poet Jose Marti) are festive as well as thought provoking.

For this special event Michael also takes advantage his diverse group of friends in the local music community and welcomes guests Tom Aldrich (accordionist of the Four Bags), Claudia Chopek (violinist for Baby Steps, Frank Bango) and Don de Palo (drummer for the Hypertonics) who will join Grupo Miguelito for a night that promises to be as alive, as the words sung!

Friday, January 23, 2004 at 9pm
Afro-Cu-Bar -- ¡Descarga II!"

Afro-Cu-Bar is Back at El Taller!
An explosion of Latin Jazz featuring more than 50 musicians will interpret the polyrhythmical elements of Cuban music intertwined with the harmonics of Jazz.

Scheduled to appear are: Pillory Noble, John Benitez, Greg Hutchinson, Jay Collins, Ben Lapidus, Jason Lindner, and Dafnis Prieto alongside veterans John Santos, Mark Levine, Harvie S., Larry Harlow, Mark Weinstein, Sonny Bravo and many more..

Organized by Mappy Torres, New York based poet, cultural activist and musical producer, the evening is one of numerous events the Cuban born Torres has organized. ¡Maestros, a descargar!", which translates to "Maestros let's jam!" began in January of 2001, when nearly 50 musicians gathered on a cold winter's evening, during the International Jazz Educators Conference (IAJE) in New York City.

For more information, contact Mappy at afrocubar@aol.com

Tuesday, January 20, 2004 at 7pm (FREE!)
CUBA -- Architecture & Design -100 Slides / 500 Years

A colorful slideshow presenting the Cuban ambiance in architecture from the 16th through the 20th Century by Bob Mayers, an Architect, Professor and leader of Architecture/Design trips to Cuba.

To visit Cuba is to experience another world; in some ways frozen in time and in other ways quite progressive. Havana is a marvelous city, with graceful plazas and an iconic waterfront. Ignored for three decades, it was bypassed by urban renewal, which ruined so many cities in our hemisphere. True, it is crumbling, but it's also undergoing a unique restoration program. Abandoned convents and warehouses are being turned into boutique hotels, atmospheric bars and restaurants; newly landscaped plazas are home to musicians and outdoor markets. A primary goal, of course, is to attract tourist dollars. But, Havana is no Disney production; restoration includes housing so that people will continue to live in the old city. Bob has studied the island from Pinar del Rio in the west to Santiago in the east. One of his major areas of interest is the mass-produced prefab housing construction of the 1960's-70's (built by amateur builders organized in "microbrigades").

In the 1960's Bob designed large scale housing and community facilities throughout Central and South America for the Alliance for Progress and architectural projects from Bangladesh to Nigeria. He is a founder of the Manhattan firm of Mayers & Schiff Associates, Architects/Planners/Urban Designers and has served as Adjunct Professor of Architecture at Pratt Institute. His work includes the "tkts" pavilion and Renaissance Hotel in Times Square and the Miller Theatre and Furnald Hall at Columbia University. Bob first visited Cuba in 1957 and in recent years he has taken many Architecture/Design groups there for the Center for Cuban Studies.

Past Concerts At El Taller

Fall 2003

Spring/Summer 2003

Fall 2002

Previous Seasons

Broadway Uptown Music Spring-Summer 2004