El Taller Latino Americano
The Latin American Workshop
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Broadway Uptown Music & Events
Winter, Spring 2007
2710 Broadway (at the corner of 104th street)
(212) 665-9460
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February
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March
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April
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May
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June
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exhibit opening |
March 20
Krakraba Lobi
with Valerie Naranjo,Barry Olsen
Music from Ghana |
Jazz sensibility applied to Argentinean folk rhythms
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exhibit opening |
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El Taller Latino Americano reserves the right to change programming at any time.
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ABOUT THE ARTISTS
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March 20, 2007
Concert starts at 9:00 pm.
Tickets: $10
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 Kakraba Lobi is considered to be the one of the great African musicians of his time. He has gained international acclaim as being the first to take the gyil (a complex and obscure West African marimba) from his village folk tradition to the international classic concert stage as a solo and chamber music medium. Kakraba is from the Lobi nation, known for their musical abilities, and was born into a family of gyil players/makers in Kalba Saru, in Ghana's upper-west. He moved to Accra in his early 20s, where he began his performing career doing broadcasts for "Radio Ghana". From 1962 until 1987, he was a full-time member of the staff at the University of Ghana's Institute of African Studies, and is currently an advising member. Kakraba was one of the musicians in Ghana's first National Dance Company and has since taught at universities and colleges throughout the Americas and Europe, and has performed in many countries, including the Czech Republic, Sweden, Denmark, England, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Nigeria, Poland, Russia, Malawi, Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa, and Togo. His repertoire and technique have been studied by ethnomusicologists from around the world, and his original music has been performed by leading artists on various instruments worldwide.
Valerie Dee Naranjo has been the percussionist on the NBC television Show "Saturday Night Live" for over eleven years and is an arranger and performer for Broadway's "The Lion King". Known for her pioneering efforts in West African keyboard percussion, Valerie (with Barry) was honored with a First Place Award at Ghana's Kobine festival in 1996, the only to date non-West Africans to do so. Valerie has also studied with many other master percussionists in 8 African countries, and has performed with such artists as Tori Amos, Airto Moriera, Glen Velez, David Byrne, Zakir Hussein, Milton Cardona, The Philip Glass Ensemble, and The Paul Winter Consort. For the past 23 years she has co-led with Barry Olsen "Mandara" a quintet of instrumentalist-vocalists from diverse ethnic and musical backgrounds. She was named "World Music Percussionist of the Year 2005" by Drum! reader's poll, and has performed on six continents, including nine African countries. She endorses Avedis Zildjian Cymbals, Pearl/Adams (Latin and Concert Percussion), and Vic Firth drumsticks and mallets.
Barry Olsen is a native New Yorker who began his career in the late 70's playing trombone in that city's Latin dance music scene. Over the years he has performed with almost all the major artists in this field, including Ray Barretto, Eddie Palmieri, Hector Lavoe,Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Marc Anthony, and La India. He recently completed two Rhythm Road Jazz Ambassadors tours of four East African countries, playing piano, trombone and percussion. He has also worked with Paul Simon, David Byrne, The Paul Winter Consort, Charlie Persip and many others. Barry is the regular pianist for the Latin-Jazz group Syotos, led by trombonist Chris Washburne, and is featured on their recordings "Nuyorican Nights.," "The Other Side" and "Paradise in Trouble". On marimba and percussion he is frequently heard in the orchestra of the Broadway hit "The Lion King." Since 1988 he has been performing Lobi and Dagara music, playing the drums known as kuar and gangaa, which accompany the gyil.
Kakraba Valerie and Barry began performing together in 1997, and have released three CDs combining Kakraba's solo performances with trio works : Song of Legaa (Lyrichord, 2000); Song of Niira (Mandara Music 2001); and Da Yillena - Wood that Sings (Mandara Music 2002). Together they compiled and published the transcription and recorded series "West African Music for the Marimba Soloist" transcriptions of Kakraba's music onto chromatic marimba.
Their Taller performance initiates their 5th East Coast tour.
This concert is sponsored in part by Pearl Drums/Adams Musical Instruments and Avedis Zildjian Co.
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Saturday April 7
Concert starts at 9:00 pm.
Tickets: $10
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 Julio A. Santillán - guitar / compositions / voice
Mauro Satalino - percussion
Nuno Antunes - clarinet
To describe the music of the Julio Santillán Trio, you would have to learn different languages: the language of classical music that had a strong
impact in the development of the composer; the language of tango and folkloric music of his native Argentina and the language of jazz, that
is evident in the new generations of composers-improvisers. But that not even understanding these worlds you would
be able to describe the magic hidden behind this fine ensemble of musicians. Those three styles, so different from each other, find in
Julio Santillán Trio a point of connection, a door to unlimited musical possibilities.
The Boston Herald described Julio's music as "A striking combination of jazz sensibility applied to argentinean folk rhythms."; and Time
Out New York magazine wrote "Santillán meld styles from down south into a fresh distinctly jazz sound."
The trio (guitar-voice, clarinet and percussion), is Julio's new project, a continuation of Los Changos, the band that he led for
almost 10 years. The repertoire of the ensemble is original music based on south american rhythms like chacarera, zamba, tango, vidala,
milonga, huayno and candombe.
Julio A. Santillán is a New York-based composer and guitarist originally from Tucumán, Argentina. His compositions combine elements
from his home land folk music, jazz improvisation and classical music. He received the prestigious "Meet the Composer/Van Lier Fellowship Award" in 2004, the Louis
Armstrong Jazz Award, and the Arif Mardin Award. He has recorded four CDs with his own compositions: Desde el Norte (2001), Anit Negra
(2003), Ñann (2005) and El Bosque de la Memoria (2007).
For more information, check out their web site at www.juliosantillan.com
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Friday June 22
Concert starts at 8:00 pm.
Tickets: $10
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Tibagui Trio, a group developed in New York by guitarist and composer Alejandro Flórez, started out as a project to perform the subtle, expressive music written for the Colombian guitar trio. The ensemble of bandola (relative of the mandolin), tiple (resembling the Cuban tres) and guitar has been for many decades the standard of the music in the Andes of Colombia. Bambuco, guabina, pasillo, danza and marcha are some of the danceable grooves played for many years in the country's mountainous regions. The music of Tibagui is directly related to this rich legacy made up of Indigenous, African and European elements.
Tibagui is now redefining the musical heritage. In its expanded version, the group features the three guitars alongside the sophisticated sounds of clarinet, flute, double bass and percussion. The group performs an all-original repertoire made up of refined compositions, most of which include improvisation as a fundamental element. The band members, well-versed in jazz and different Latin American genres, bring together their experiences to tell an exciting story of tradition and innovation.
Tabagui is:
Alejandro Flórez - bandola
Sebastián Cruz - tiple
Nilko Andreas Guarín - guitar
Sam Sadigursky - flute and clarinet
Pedro Giraudo - bass
Franco Pinna - drums and percussion
For booking information, contact:
Alejandro Flórez
917-865-2363
alejandroflorez@earthlink.net
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Friday June 23
Concert starts at 8:00 pm.
Tickets: $10
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The Aleksi Glick Quartet is:
Keenan McCracken - piano
He is an 18 year old student currently at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University. He is currently studying with canadian pianist Jeff Johnston. Keenan has also studied with New York pianist Eric Reed and is currently a Harlem resident looking to become a proffessional musician in the city.
Aleksi Glick - guitar
He is an 18 year old Jazz musician living in New york city. He will be attending the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore next year on a scholership. He is currentley studying with guitar great Vic Juris and gigging around the metropolitan area with fellow young aspiring Jazz musicians.
Ben Rose - drums
He is a 17 year old Drummer living in New Jersey. He Studies with Tim Horner and will be attending the Thornton School of Music next year at USC. He along with guitarist Aleksi Glick was admitted into NJPACs Jazz for Teens program where the two of them studied with alltime great Jazz musicians such as Don Braden and Dion Parsons.
Rex Surany - bass
He Will be attending The Curtis Institute of Music Next Year.
"With this quartet Taller is starting a new category of performances that is justly called "Future Classics". In the same way that many "Famous Unknowns" have used our auditorium as a musical laboratory, there is a tradition of virtuoso young musicians making their Broadway premiere here. Aleksi and Keenan are known figures to Taller's music fans. Keenan used to study Spanish here, his impromptu piano concerts were the highlight of those classes. Aleksi is the son of Mike Glick, a blues and folk musician, who was one of Taller's first performers and is currently one of the most respected music teachers of New York. In the last couple of years Aleksi has accompanied his father in his musical presentations and at the beginning of 2007 Aleksi presented his own music with a group called "Work In Progress". There was such an overwhelming response from the audience that we were forced to schedule another concert.
I encourage music lovers to check this quartet out. It is an honor to present them." (Bernardo Palombo, Artistic Director)
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