2008 Concerts at El Taller
Christmas with Clayton Bryant
December 21, 2008Featuring the beautiful voices of Jeannette-Lynn and Joy Beth Nadella ("An Exciting Singer/Songwriter, this 20 year-old gives new meaning to 'Voices Carry'").
Urban Sonora
December 12, 2008
"After the release and promotion of their first record "Siete Balas", urbansonora has decided to hit the road again but this time reducing the electricity use. The new and the previous material will be played acoustically; this rather than subtract will add a more subtle layer of feelings. The compilations of songs are part of the new record which is in the production process; there will be more wood, nylon strings, and a wider range of dynamic expression and some special guests..
Join us in this winter night, lets enjoy a peculiar blend of poetry and music.. "
Rubén Isola and friends
December 6, 2008"La música de siempre pero distinta"
Rubén Isola along with 7 other musicians will play an eclectic mixture of Argentinian Tango, Blues, Latin American Folk, Jazz, Brazilian, Rock N' Roll and Classical.
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Rubén Isola studied for 11 years at Melani Conservatory obtaining his degree as "Profesor Superior de Guitarra". Although well recognized for his degree, Mr. Isola continued his musical studies and became a private student of Concert Guitarist Haracio Ceballos. Later he studied with Jazz Piano Player, Santiago Giaccobbe for 3 years.
Viernes Social and Thanksgiving Fundraiser
Don Fallo Figueroa &
Son Candela
November 15, 2008
Son Jarocho is the traditional folk music from the region of Veracruz known as Sotavento, with a long tradition originating in colonial times and a very interesting mix of influences, including Spanish, African and indigenous.
Within this region, rich in musical traditions, is Tlacotalpan, in the state of Veracruz, on the banks of the river Papaloapan, the majestic river of butterflies and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is within this framework that Rafael Figueroa Alavés's quest emerged to make the tradition of Son Jarocho, as practiced for centuries, remain an active musical tradition full of life.
Born in Tlacotalpan in 1935, Rafael Figueroa Alavés, "Don Fallo", has divided his life between music, carpentry and as a well known luthier and teacher. He has participated in many concerts, radio and TV programs including TVMás (Xalapa) and Telever (Veracruz) and nationally on Canal 13. He has also been involved in many recordings, both with his group Siquisiri and Son Candela, and in participation with others. Don Fallo has been nominated for countless honors for musicianship and his work in promoting son jarocho, most recently the Medalla al Mérito Cívico 2008 del Ayuntamiento de Tlacotalpan for his role in promoting regional culture.
Son Candela emerged in September 2003. All students at the Casa de Cultura de la Ciudad de Tlacotalpan, they started with a strong traditional background. The group retains the traditional Son, but has also made innovations which continue to improve day by day.
For more information on Son Jaroche and Don Fallo, check out www.comosuena.com. You can also hear some of their music at CD Baby.
Laura Wolfe
November 13, 2008
Vocal artist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Laura Wolfe with Dave Eggar on cello, Rachel Golab on violin, Rueben Giron on flute and a special guest, Mimi Stern-Wolfe, conductor pianist and artistic Director of Downtown Music Productions.
A native of New York City's Lower East Side Laura Wolfe comes from a family of musicians and lefty activists who influenced her passion for music. "I grew up listening to everything from Jimmy Cliff to Brahms. The Lower East Side was rough in the day-gangs, drugs, burnt-out buildings and radical revolutionaries. A bit different from the chic boutiques you see now. But it was also this amazing melting pot of culture, music, and activism." Going to back to her Lower East Side roots Laura Wolfe is currently researching and compiling a one woman show tracing the influence of Yiddish Theater Music on American composers. On Thursday November 13th at 8PM she will be performing a range of songs from her solo recordings spanning over a decade.
Laura Wolfe has appeared at venues and with groups as varied as Carnegie Hall with Lavender Light Gospel Choir, the Rich Forum with African master drummer Amadou Kienou, European Stadiums with the Broadway Road Show of the musical Hair, Joe's Pub with her guitar in hand and a full rock band, Yoga Centers with her harmonium chanting sacred Sanskrit mantras, and Mental Health Hospitals bringing the vibrations of Om to incarcerated patients. Her solo recordings span over a decade, and most recently tracks from her 2005 release SIREN, produced with Grammy award winner Steve Addabbo (Suzanne Vega, Toshi Reagan, Shawn Colvin) garnered honorable mentions in The Billboard World Song Contest in 2006 and 2007. SIREN also made the finals of NPR's "All Songs Considered", and has been supported by College Radio Airplay on over 200 stations and 4 continents.
Pedro Reñé
November 8, 2008
Born in Santa Fe, Argentina, Pedro Reñé, singer, guitarist, and composer of songs, presents his album Pinceladas del Sur (Splashes of the South). This album is composed of 11 songs based on the rhythms and colors of South America. Influenced by tango, zamba, candombe, and bosa nova, it is mixed with lyrics that tell their own story, based on authors such as Julio Cortazar and Jorge Luis Borges.
At the concert, Pedro will also play popular oldies to encourage public participation and teach people about Latin American rhythms.
The album Pinceladas del Sur has received an award from the Municipality of Rosario, and Pedro was invited to present it at the Centro Pablo de la Torriente in Havana and in Geneva, Amsterdam, and Buenos Aires.
In June this year, Reñé organized a celebration of the 80 year anniversary of Che Guevara's birth in Rosario, along with prominent local and international musicians. In September 2008 he began a new tour going through cities in Spain and the United States, ending the tour at the "3rd Annual Festival of Latin American Cultural Week", in Manhattan.
Listen to his music at www.myspace.com/pedrorene
Dia de Los Muertos, Halloween Party
Come celebrate Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos with the El Taller crew.
Costumes strongly encouraged.
BYOB
Juan Falú
October 25, 2008
A must for lovers of guitar music, this is a one night only appearance by one of South America's most distinguished guitarists and composers steeped in the rich heritage of Argentinean guitar music.
Juan Falú, the distinguished South American classical guitarist and composer of distinction, will be performing here at El Taller Latino Americano, a.k.a. The Latin American Workshop, on October 25th, 2008 at 8:30 PM.
A vital force in Argentinean music, and part of the acclaimed Falú family, Juan Falú is considered to be one of today's most important Argentinean musicians. Despite his Classical, Folk and Tango image he has performed and recorded with international artists in an array of musical genres that includes the quintessential Folk Singer, Mercedes Sosa and acclaimed Rock Artist Fito Páez. Juan Falú remains at the core of musical his community, where he directs the festival Guitars of the World, considered the largest international event in its genre. He also teaches in the Manuel de Falla Conservatory, in Buenos Aires, where he has created the first curricula for Folklore and Tango.
A delightfully lyrical performer, Falú's music for guitar recreates the freshness and inventiveness of Argentinean folk rhythms, and many of his pieces are firmly established in the repertoire of the most outstanding Argentinean musicians.
Tickets are $20.00 and can be purchased in advance by calling El Taller 212-665-9460.
Villa Lobos Brothers at Viernes Social
September 26, 2008
The best parties always happen at the beach. And when these three brothers hit the stage, you will swear there's sand under your feet. Tall, dark and have-some, the Villa-Lobos deliver a consistently sunny breed of rock-'n'-roll.
Shredding all over New York for years now, their mainstream appeal has helped them secure shows at bigger-than-life shrines like Carnegie Hall and Shea Stadium, while also establishing a network of smaller venues like Joe's Pub, Queens Theater in the Park and the Orensanz Foundation.
Visit their MySpace page to learn more about them and hear some of their music.
UN INSTANTE, A Tribute to Jorge Luis Borges
September 19, 2008"Un Instante" is a suite composed by Julio Santillan. The work combines his music, based on Argentine rhythms like tango and milonga, with the brilliant poetry of Jorge Luis Borges, one of the most important writers of the Spanish language. It was commissioned by the Secretaría de Cultura de Tucumán, Argentina.
Its New York premiere features Sofia Tosello (voice) and Julio Santillán (guitar and voice).
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.
"Santillan meld styles from down south into a fresh distinctly jazz sound."
-Time Out New York
"Santillán and company have found a way to weave together startling tapestries of color that splash both surprise and warm feelings everywhere as they move a cultural fusion into the future."
-Boston Herald
"Passion in music is always good; passion shaped by elegant concepts is even better. Argentinean native Julio Santillán leading this trio's compelling blend of classic guitar, argentinean folk and jazz, is even better."
-The Village Voice (New York)
Sofia Tosello, a remarkable young singer hailing from Cordoba, Argentina, belongs to an exciting new group of South American artists who, by blending the traditional rhythms of their respective countries with a funky and sophisticated New York sensibility, are challenging the way Latin American song is done.
The Brandos
August 22, 2008
THE BRANDOS' signature roots-rock 'n roll has garnered
such accolades as "the best new American band" (The Gavin Report), and "real contenders,"- Rolling Stone (US), and Time Magazine's quote "The Brandos roots run deep and offer great nourishment."
Their debut album release, Honor Among Thieves, with its featured single Gettysburg, received widespread radio and MTV airplay across North America and Europe with
continuing critical acclaim, and paved the way for extensive touring which has continued to this day. More than twenty years later The Brandos still receive this kind of critical acclaim - the Jan.
2007 edition of Rolling Stone (Germany) described the band's latest release, Over the Border, as "extreme hand-craftsmanship."At the heart of The Brandos is Dave Kincaid (lead vocals, guitars, mandolin) and Ernie Mendillo (bass, vocals), with the lineup being filled out by Eric "Roscoe" Ambel (guitar, vocals), whose impressive resume includes the Del Lords, Rosoe's Gang, The Yahoos and the great Steve Earle, and Phil Cimino (drums), whose credits include John Cale and Chris Barron (Spin Doctors). The Brandos is a hard-driving rock 'n roll band - first and foremost- yet it's one with a deep respect for older music traditions, occasionally flavoring their music with American, Irish or Latin-American traditional music. The band will be joined by renowned Irish uilleann piper Jerry O'Sullivan for this special performance at El Taller.
Dahiu y Pop Filter
August 13, 2008
The adventure of Pop FilterUnable to secure a deal with labels in Mexico City, the Trio opted to record its debut album on their own. After 4 years of playing and songwriting together and innumerous letters and mails from cyber friends who requested more of their Music, they embarked on this adventure; New York City became their temporary home and record studio. Their self-financed recordings resulted in the debut album "Pop Filter", an album of earnest Latin pop-rock in the vein of Julieta Venegas and Fito Paez, and clearly influenced by the Beatle maniac of its members. This group of talented young musicians has the winning formula to take the Latin music market by storm and demonstrate just how powerful Indie artists can be.
Dahiu (the lead singer) will be giving workshops in all the Spanish classes the week of the show!
Dahiu Rosenblatt was born in Uruguay in 1986, from a very young age she was interested in Music. Her Grandfather, an amateur Pianist and Music lover was the biggest force and influence behind her decision to follow Singing and songwriting as a career. At the young age of 15 she won a Music competition held by the Hebraica of Sao Paulo organization at the Arthur Rubinstein theatre that gave her recognition among the musical community in Sao Paulo, Brazil. At the age of 17 she was awarded a Scholarship to study at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Rafo Ráez
August 9, 2008
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Rafo Ráez will offer a series of presentations in Washington and New York, where he will perform his songs acoustically, giving a full tour of his 8 albums. Rafo knows how to connect with his audience, so the pieces are never planned in advance for his shows, but come out according to each moment. In view of this, we can't say how long it will last or what songs he will play. But what we can do is ensure that every show of Rafo Ráez is an experience that should not be missed, either for the quality of interpretation or the charisma and vitality that unfolds on stage. Rock and anthropology in the songs of one of the most original musicians from Peru Latido Latino Nueva York "Rafo is one of the most well known rockers of Peru and is an anthropologist as well. His music is very different from mine but I love it anyway." Susana Baca For more information visit http://raforaez.blogspot.com/ or listen to his music at http://www.last.fm/music/Rafo+Raez |
Rafo Ráez ofrecerá una serie de presentaciones en Washington y Nueva York, adonde llevará sus canciones en formato acústico, dando un completo
recorrido por sus 8 discos. Rafo sabe entrar en conexión con su público, por lo que nunca los temas en sus recitales son planeados de antemano, sino que van saliendo de acuerdo a cada momento. En vista de eso, no podemos decir cuánto durarán o qué canciones tocará en sus espectáculos. Pero lo que sí podemos asegurar es que cada recital de Rafo Ráez es una experiencia que no se debe dejar pasar, ya sea por el carisma y la vitalidad que despliega en el escenario, como por la calidad interpretativa inherente a él. "rock y antropologia en las canciones de uno de los musicos mas originales del Peru" Latido Latino Nueva York Rafo es uno de los roqueros mas conocidos del Peru y tambien es antropologo...su musica es muy diferente a la mia pero me gusta mucho Susana Baca. |
Night of Music and Theater at El Taller
July 26, 2008A special night of music and theater will feature music by Such Is Life and She, and the Empty Living Room, a one-act chamber play.
An exploration of (anti)communication, disobedient
tongues, a missing left foot, a dance, a relationship, a poem, or a broken heart. She and the Empty Living Room is a play in translation (literally) about the act of translation,
repression/oppression, and the language in your head that turns you into someone else.She, and the Empty Living Room is a chamber play that looks at the (de)evolution of a relationship and the language it inherits. In loosing your language by trying to replace it with another you loose yourself and appropriate the other. Pretending to be someone else until you are forced to be the person you didn't know you were.
It is a play performed live by two actors in Spanish and English with simultaneous translation delivered via subtitles across two monitors on which also a film is seen. It is this film that is inherently translating the image (the play) before your eyes. It takes place in an almost empty room. A room in a house that is lived in.
Afterwards the public is invited to stay. There is a salon of sorts, hopefully on a divan with red wine and banana bread. This interaction is the end of the event and just as important as the event itself.
Conceived and Directed by April Sweeney
Text by April Sweeney and Carolina Sotolano
Performed by: Carolina Sotolano and Markus Hirnigel
Film by: Miklos Buk
New York Premier
Such Is Life with Demian Palombo, Jo La Fave and Bill La Fave, plus a special guest, will play two sets, one before the play and one after. Their music is an eclectic mix of acoustic and instrumental flow folk/pop.
The Project
July 12, 2008
It's a case of the sum equals more then the separate parts
or maybe like Communism where it's from each their abilities to each their needs. The Project uses elements of contemporary classical music and jazz along with electronic sounds, Latin rhythms,
ancient Japanese court music and whatever else we can find that works. Pieces are sometimes a combination of written parts and free improvisation. Every member brings something to our original
compositions.The Tom Blatt Project dates from sometime in the mid 90's and has gone through various configurations. At present, core members include Tom Blatt, bass; Andy O'Neil, drums; Nick D'Amato, guitar, Charles Ramsey, guitar; and Michele Smith, flute, vocals, and percussion.
For more information, check them out on www.myspace.com/tomblattproject
Los Cenzontles with special guest Dan Zanes
July 11, 2008
Los Cenzontles’ gutsy rhythms and delightful
voices reinvigorated my love of Mexican music.Linda Ronstadt
Los Cenzontles didn’t need more than a tuba, a trumpet, a thudding bass drum and a pair of clarinets to turn the club into a raucous cantina.
The New York Times
Los Cenzontles ("The Mockingbirds") is an eight-member Mexican music ensemble that celebrates the innovation and imagination of Mexican music, weaving together centuries-old musical traditions with contemporary sounds of the world stage. The group, directed by Grammy-nominated producer Eugene Rodriguez, is currently recording a CD with Los Lobos David Hidalgo and has performed and recorded alongside Los Lobos, Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano, Grupo Mono Blanco, Los Tigres del Norte, Lalo Guerrero, Flaco Jimanez, and Santiago Jimenez Jr.
Los Cenzontles, Nahuatl for The Mockingbirds, is a group of artists that has pioneered the revival of Mexican roots music for almost two decades, promoting cultural expression in their neighborhood and beyond. Fronting the group is the dynamic vocal dueto of Fabiola Trujillo and Lucina Rodriguez and sonero Hugo Arroyo. The Mockingbirds effortlessly mix electric bass and drums with traditional Mexican instruments "jarana, vihuela, requinto, pandero and quijada (jawbone) " creating a powerful contemporary sound infused with the gutsy soul of Mexico's rural roots music.
Los Cenzontles features four distinct styles of regional Mexican music, each with its unique instrumentation: Traditional Mariachi, Son Jarocho of Veracruz, Tex-Mex Conjunto, and Pirecuas and Sones of Michoacan. In addition, a program by Los Cenzontles will include original songs from their most recent CD, los senn-sont-less, an album that that fuses elements of traditional music with rock & roll, country, reggae, rock en español and R&B.
For more information, check out their web site at >www.themockingbirds.info
Joining Los Cenzontles will be Taller friend, songwriter and performer, Dan
Zanes. Called the "Pete Seeger for the new century" by the Washington Post, Dan won the 2007 Grammy Award for Best Children's Album - Catch that Train. With Nueva York,
his latest album (partially recorded here at El Taller with Bernardo Palombo as Executive Producer), Dan has successfully crossed over into the Latin Pop charts and into the Spanish-speaking world.
With a repertoire of blues, rock and folk songs, Zanes is a popular phenomenon for adults and kids alike. It's always a party!Check him out at www.danzanes.com
Grupo Sur
July 5, 2008
Grupo Sur sings the Latin American folk repertoire of the 60
and the 70's."Historias de Mujeres" includes classics like "Alfonsina y El Mar" and "La Llorona". The members of Grupo Sur, Cristina Burgueno, Mauricio Saleme, and Oscar Ballester, are all physicians that divide their time between their medical practice and their musical performances.
The Beledo Quartet
June 28, 2008
Beledo has done everything in his lifewith his
guitar.The Beatles in Spanish (salsa version), soundtracks for movies, accompanied the "delirium rhythms" of Fernando Otero, but his signature is the "Candombe".
The Candombe is an African rhythm that both the Uruguayans and the Argentineans swear belongs to them. (like Carlos Gardel) but because Beledo is from Uruguay we are going to say that the Candombe is an Afrouruguayan rhythm, also known and practiced in Argentina and Paraguay.
If you have not heard Candombe or Beledo your musical defenses are down. Come to replenish them.
www.myspace.com/beledo
Jerry Palacino
June 27, 2008
Alberto Rojo
June 21, 2008In Tucumán (Argentina), where Alberto Rojo is from, they call him "Leandro" (for Da Vinci). Alberto Rojo paints, sings, plays music, and is a professor of Quantum Physics at Oakland University in Ann Arbor Michigan. He also tours a lot. He just finished a European tour with Mercedes Sosa where he was her "all orchestra". Alberto will be here at El Taller on Saturday June 21st at 8pm to play and show us his songs, some of which our Spanish students are currently learning.
From Alberto's web site:(www.albertorojo.com)
Alberto Rojo was born in Tucumán, Argentina. He started playing the
piano at the age of six and picked up the guitar as a teenager.From 1980 to 1982 created played with Gaudeamus, a band with a medieval and renaissance music repertoire. Then, in 1982 he decided to study Physics and moved to Bariloche. From then on he alternated his creative interest between music and science. He earned a Ph.D. in Physics in 1990 and moved to the United States. During that period he also intensively practiced the guitar and wrote pieces that were later performed by (among others) Mercedes Sosa, Argentinean rock idol Charly García, Víctor Villadangos, Dorian recording artist Berta Rojas and Carmina Cannavino and are part of the curricula of Latin American music schools.
Most recently, his second album, Para Mi Sombra, received rave reviews in Argentina and was chosen as one of the best five folkloric albums of 2003 by Rolling Stone magazine of Argentina. In 2004 his song “Chacarera del Fuego” from the album was anthologized in the album A Rough Guide to the Music of Argentina from the English label World Music Network.
In April 2002 Alberto was invited by Grammy winner and legendary singer Mercedes Sosa to participate in her concert at Massey Hall in Toronto and in Teatro el Círculo in Rosario, Argentina. Sosa has publicly praised Alberto’s exquisite songwriting (she declared herself his “number one fan”) and has included several of Alberto’s songs in her repertoire. In 2005 Mercedes invited Alberto to record two duos in her album Corazón Libre; and in December 2005, she invited him to play two songs in Tucumán in a outdoor concert that attracted a crowd of 15,000 and was broadcast on national TV.
Birth of the Sun and Batey
June 20, 2008
"Birth of the Sun", a film by Thomas W.
Campbell about the artist Grady Alexis, will show at El Taller on Friday Evening, June 20.Grady Alexis lived at El Taller Latino Americano from 1986 until his death in 1991. He created art with a colorful and creative group of people and was a part of numerous art "scenes" on the lower east side. In the film a number of people who were close to Grady look back on their relationship with him. Bernardo Palombo and his sons Demian and Ira considered Grady to be part of their family. Grady collaborated with Thom Corn on large-scale work, before and after they were part of an art group called "The Maroons". Hamlet Zurita, painter, was another friend of Grady, collaborating with artists associated with the Mars Bar on East 2nd Street. Lori Leistyna was his girlfriend in 1990-1991 when he began to intensify his art output while facing some difficult personal issues.
The film documents the recreation of a signature work by Grady, the mural called "Birth of the Sun". The collective painting of Grady's work, which hung at El Taller for many years, is a central act of the story, establishing a physical link between the past and present. Artists who knew Grady, and others who learned of him, brought their talents to the recreation. Among those who participated are Andrea Arroyo, Thom Corn, Jeff Schlanger, Angelo Romano, Demian Palombo, Hamlet Zurita, Laura Gilbert, Ricardo Pliego, Bernardo Palombo, and Marc Romero. The mural will now become part of the permanent collection of art at El Taller.
The musical soundtrack was created by guitarist and songwriter Demian Palombo, who called on his memories and experiences with Grady to compose and perform a complex and haunting series of original music. Much of the soundtrack was recorded at present-day El Taller, in both multi-track and live sessions. Other musicians who's work appears in the film include Quiqie Sinesi, Bernardo Palombo, Jose Valdez, Mike Campani, Gilberto Mendoza and Victor Hernandez.
"Birth of the Sun" is 27 minutes in duration and was written and directed by Thomas W. Campbell and shot by Emmanuel Alexandre jr.
Also screening will be "Welcome to Batey 6", a 22 minute documentary written and
directed by Emmanuel Alexandre jr. and shot by Kemah Keita-Diouf. The film offers an intimate look into the lives of Haitian sugarcane cutters and the effects on their families and the local culture.
Exploring life in a Dominican Batey (a sugar can town), the story follows two men who live there. Emelio has recently come from Haiti with his wife and children to find a way to support his family.
The work is difficult, the pay is small, and the money proves difficult to collect. Titonton can trace his family back over 100 years and has lived on the Batey longer than most. He is the unofficial
mayor and has a level of authority that Emelio can only dream about. Their lives intertwine in Batey 6, revealing the different realities of what it is like to live and to work in the sugar cane
economy on the island.Refreshments will be served and there will be time to talk and socialize before and after the screenings.
For more information about "Birth of the Sun" go to: www.birthofthesun.com
Sol and Friends Night of Flamenco
June 7, 2008Sol and Friends Night of Flamenco performing with Flamenco guitarist Arturo Martinez and Flamenco singer/dancer Barbara Martinez.
www.flamencoysol.com
Motohito Fukushima and Friends
May 31, 2008
Motohito Fukushima will be playing two sets:
- The first will feature Moto Fukushima & Daniele Camarda
- The second will be a trio with Franco Pinna and Daniele
In 1998 Motohito received a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston. There, he studied, played and worked with world well-known musicians such as Joe Lovano, Hal Crook, Tiger Okoshi,George Garzone, Ed Tomassi, David Clerk, Bruno Raberg, Hiromi Uehara. He also performed in jazz festivals including the Lower Roxbury Jazz festival with Grammy Award Winner, Dave Samuels; the Kansai International Jazz Festival with Florian Weber; and he performed Kaori Tanioka's composition "Malglit" as featured soloist with the Greg Hopkins Concert Jazz Orchestra, which won first prize in IAJE Jazz Composition Competition in 2003. Moto received the "Outstanding Performer Award" before graduating summa cum laude with Bachelor of Music in 2002.
Since then, Moto has recorded and played with Interoceanico, Los Changos, Labalteu band, Vladimir Cetkar, Marta Gomez, Dave Samuels, Hiromi, Hal Crook, Daniele Camrda, Donny McCasalin, Ari Hoenig and Dave Weckl. His last performance at El Taller will have been just two days before with Emilio Teubal.
Franco Pinna:
Franco Pinna, from Tucuman, Argentina, has performed and recorded a wide variety of rhythms with many artists such as Julio Santillan, Marta Gomez, Fernando Huergo Fernando Isella y Los Makanudos, Sandra Mihanovich, Santiago Greco, Daniele Camarda , Manuel Santos, Katie Viqueira, Danilo Perez, Diego Urcola, Nando Michelin, Pablo Ablanedo, Bonnie Raitt, Livingston Taylor, Bruce Barth, Oscar Stagnaro, Chris Cheek, Guillermo Klein, Jeff Ballard, Oscar Feldman, Claudio Ragazzi, and Hiroya Tsukamoto, among others. As a sideman, Franco has recorded more than 30 CDs, some of them released by prestigious labels such as "Fresh Sound," "Chesky Records," "Big Sur Records" and "Putumayo."
Daniele Camarda:
Daniele started playing at a very young age. Starting in Italy with a number of Jazz and Blues bands, he moved to Boston in 1998 where, in 2001, he received a Bachelor Summa Cum Laude.
Daniele works mostly in the field of improvised music with particular attention for the "solo performance". He has played in Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, Rumania, Slovakia, United States, Argentina, India,South Africa and Lebanon.
Emilio Teubal & La Balteuband
May 29, 2008 Argentine Jazz with Franco Pinna, Xavier perez, Felipe Salles, Moto Fukushima and Emilio Teubal.
"La Balteuband provides a very interesting set of fresh new material in a unique musical treat delivered by a first-rate ensemble." Edward Blanco,EJazznews.comLa Balteuband is an instrumental ensemble lead by Emilio Teubal. His compositions are a blend of jazz and elements of Argentine music, such as rhythms like chacarera and zamba along with the lyricism of tango melodies. La Balteuband's music consists of rhythmically and harmonically rich pre-composed structures and improvised sections that highlight the musicality of each member of the band. This is what makes each performance of the group so fresh and special.
The compositional influences of Emilio Teubal include Astor Piazolla, Hermeto Pascual, Egberto Gismonti, and great masters of the jazz tradition such as Duke Ellington, Gil Evans, and Charles Mingus. La Balteuband has performed in New York venues such as the Knitting Factory, Cornelia Street Cafe, Makor, Louis 649, Nublu, Bowery Poetry Club, and Galapagos Arts Space.
La Balteuband has released its first album in December 2006.
For more information about La Balteuband, visit www.emilioteubal.com and www.myspace.com/labalteuband
Vanessa de Maria
May 24, 2008Vanessa de Maria was born in the small town of Sarandi, in the northern area of the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
She discovered folklore and literature influenced by her older
brother, indefatigable follower of Rio Grande do Sul poet and troubadour Jaime Caetano Braun and admirer of the great gaucho work of Argentinean writer José Hernandez, Martín Fierro. At
night, she listened on the family radio to Uruguayan and Argentinean stations, which made her fall in love with Latin American folk music.At 20 years old, she traveled to Spain. First Barcelona and then Madrid, where she lived for eight years. She mingled with Latin American musicians, composers and folk artists, performing on the stages of the Spanish capital. Back to Brazil, she performed in Porto Alegre, meeting with great acclaim from the audience and media. That same year, she was invited for several guest appearances in albums by local and international artists, and traveled to Buenos Aires, the Argentinean capital, taking up residence there and producing her first album, Perfume del Sur, which features the South American folk songs that charmed her early years. The album counts on the musical direction by Argentinean guitar player Nicolás Brizuela and the participation of other great musicians from the country, being scheduled for release in Argentina and Brazil in April 2007.
Joining Vanessa will be guitarist and frequent Taller performer Julio Santillan, and the children's dance troupe Brazil Tche
About the Brasil Tchê Troupe
The mission of the Brasil Tchê Troupe is "to teach
our american children about their Brazilian heritage while promoting their sense of citizenship, pride and commitment to the community."During 2007, the troupe represented our Brazilian heritage at the YMCA International Day, Basking Ridge, NJ; Ana Maria Machado, Machado de Assis Award, Brazilian Public Library, NY; Portuguese Festival Day, Newark, NJ; BrasilFest, Seattle, WA; 3rd. National Gaucho Convention, Los Angeles, CA; Brazilian Day, Danbury, CT; Statewide Cultural Festival, Trenton, NJ; and in many other fund raising events in our community. In 2008, the troupe was the winner for the 11th Annual Brazilian International PRESS AWARD—Outstanding Dance Performance Today, more than 25 children, from 3 to 14 years old, participate in our troupe. Their hard work has been recognized. They are very proud to be the winners of the 2008 Brazilian International Press Award.
Los Santos
May 21, 2008
Grupo los Santos is a quartet of American musicians who,
through a mixture of jazz with Afro-Cuban and Brazilian styles, are creating a new soul in the music of New York.Formed in 1998 to explore the blending of these traditions, Los Santos have performed in Cuba and throughout the U.S., worked and recorded with some of the greats of Cuban music, and have developed a strong following in the New York/Tri-state area.
Their first CD, Noches en El Taller, released in 2000, features a range of Afro-Cuban and Brazilian styles, including Cuban son, rumba-son, bolero, samba and bossa nova as well as batá pieces for drumset.
Their second CD, Cruzando el Mar (2003), continues the tradition with high energy originals in guaguancó, funk, cha cha chá and descarga, as well as further explorations in samba, rumba and partido alto.
Henri Salgâo of Músico Pro magazine described the work as "A tasty fusion of genres...that shows their deep admiration of Cuban music (particularly the percussive richness of the batás) and Brazilian music." Keith Ganz wrote "Relaxed, authentic Latin grooves underpin an openended, intimate jazz quartet setting to create a truly unique and satisfying kind of jazz."
Find out more at http://www.grupolossantos.com/.
Sean Frenette
May 17, 2008
Sean Michael Frenette is a New England-born composer,
guitarist, singer, and pianist. Though rooted in rock music and trained in classical guitar, Sean is growing into a multi-instrumentalist performer and composer who omnivorously gathers and
integrates from such varied sources of inspiration as Bach, Hendrix, Stravinsky, Tool, Renaissance music, Gregorian chant, flamenco, Afrobeat, classical Indian music, movement/contact improvisation,
free jazz, and the world's great singer-songwriters.Sean plays primarily fingerstyle guitar on both classical and acoustic guitars, on the rare 28-fret stereo-phonic electric-classical guitar that he helped design with luthier Carla Kelly, and on his own 'invention'- the 3 string guitar. His voice is inspired by rock, jazz, and folk singers and has been trained by many years of choral experience, 4 years of Hindustani singing, and, more recently, Turkish singing. Sean has played in Carnegie Hall with bluegrass pioneers Edgar Meyer and Mike Marshall, on the streets of Nashville, TN with the old blues gurus, in New England Conservatory's concert halls at Guitarfest as a soloist and with sitarist Peter Row, and at clubs, colleges, and festivals up and down the East Coast with the award-winning Afrobeat ensemble The Superpowers. He currently lives in Boston, MA and works as an outreach music teacher in Boston Public Schools.
Find out more about Sean at http://www.myspace.com/seanfrenette/ and follow the links to Sean's various different creative projects. Also search youtube.com/ for 'sean frenette'.
Mambo NYC
May 10, 2008Mambo NYC is proud to represent a new generation of salsa players, dedicated to exploring the continued evolution of salsa music in New York City. A culturally diverse group with members from Madrid, San Juan, Brooklyn and the Bronx, Mambo NYC emerged from a Latin Jazz Workshop at the renowned Drummer’s Collective, where enthusiasm for salsa spilled right out of the classroom door and into the pulsing streets of Manhattan. With one foot planted in the Fania tradition and the other in R&B, Mambo NYC is at the vanguard of the surging cross-cultural salsa swing movement.
Check out the Mambo NYC website and listen to the music.www.mambo-nyc.com
"Quique Sinesi"
April 25, 2008A Special Message From Bernardo
Last November I received a call from Julio Santillan. He informed me that Quique Sinesi was performing at the Ibero-American Guitar Festival in Washington DC and Julio wanted me to invite Quique to play at El Taller.
I did not know who Quique was but I called him in Buenos Aires and he kindly accepted my invitation. I apologized in advance for not having enough time to supply him with the audience that he deserved. We worked "Taller" style and sent one of those "emergency" email blasts and crossed our fingers.
Sunday, November 10th, was one of the coldest, snowiest nights of the year but the Taller audience proved their loyalty and a standing room only audience was entranced by Quique's guitar for over 2 hours. Magic happened that night, a man gave birth, 2 women learned to fly---I am kidding, but that space of music that Quique created is still here.
QUIQUE SINESI is returning to El Taller on April 25th at 8pm. Be sure not to miss this very special event.
| Born in Argentina, Quique Sinesi's distinctive music is a mix of elements that includes Argentinean Folklore, Tango, Jazz, Classical and contemporary sounds. His compositions have been edited in France (Lemoine), Japan (Gendai), Belgium (Ediciones Latinoamericanas) and Argentina (Riccordi). He made several recordings and International "Solo" tours with different projects. He founded with Matias Gonzalez and Horacio Lopez the trio "Alfombra Magica". He has recorded the Concerto for Guitar, Bandoneon and Orchestra by Astor Piazzolla with the "Deutschland Radio Berlin Symphony orchestra" in Germany. He played with very important musicians from Argentina and Europe such as: Dino Saluzzi, Pablo Ziegler with whom he won a Latin Grammy in 2005, Marcelo Miguilevsky; Carlos Aguirre, Juan Falu, Charlie Mariano and Markus Stockhausen among many others. | Este compositor e intérprete nacido en Argentina, fusiona en su música elementos del Folclore, Tango, Jazz, y
música Clásica con elementos de música contemporánea. Sus obras han sido editadas recientemente en Francia (Editorial Lemoine), Japón, Bélgica y Argentina.
Ha realizado numerosas grabaciones y giras internacionales como solista y también como integrante de distintos proyectos. Algunos de los músicos con los que ha colaborado y grabado son:
Dino Saluzzi, Pablo Ziegler (New tango dúo) con quien gano el Grammy Latino 2005 por mejor álbum de tango, Marcelo Moguilevsky, Juan Falú, Carlos Aguirre, Charlie Mariano y
Markus Stockhausen. Es fundador junto con Matías González y Horacio López del grupo "Alfombra Mágica". Ha grabado en Alemania el concierto para Guitarra, Bandoneon y
Orquesta de Astor Piazzolla con la Orquesta Sinfónica de la Deutschland Radio Berlín. |
"La Cancion del Inmigrante"
April 18, 2008A day declared an official, annual celebration by Mayor Bloomberg, Immigrant Heritage Week is a unique celebration of the vibrant immigrant cultures, history, and communities found in every corner of the City.
El Taller Latino Americano is proud to participate in this year's celebration by presenting La Cancion del Inmigrante (the song of the immigrant), a song written by El Taller's Founder and Artisitc Director, Bernardo Palombo, 13 years ago as a tribute to immigrants and the immigrant nature of this country: "inmigrantes somos tu y yo y toda esta nacion", "you and I are immigrants, and so is this whole nation."
At 4pm there will be a recording and filming of La Cancion del Inmigrante performed by local musicians. The community is invited to come to sing and be a part of this historical event. The day will close with a concert featuring the Julio Santillan Trio, with composer/guitarist Julio Santillan, Italian bassist Daniele Camarda, and Quintito Cinalli on percusión.
Julio A. Santillán is a composer and guitarist from Tucumán, Argentina. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Berklee College of Music (Boston, USA) and is the reciepient of numerous awards: the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award, the Arif Mardin Award, ASCAPlus Award, among others. Daniele Camarda and Quntito Cinalli are world class musicians who have performed with the likes of Pedro Aznar, Mercedes Sosa and Lionel Loueke.
Learn more about Julio Santillan at www.juliosantillan or on My Space
| "A striking combination of jazz sensibility applied to Argentinean folk rhythms." Boston Herald |
"Passion in music is always good; passion shaped by elegant concepts is even better." The Village Voice |
Autonauts Book Presentation
February 24, 2008
Launch party for Autonauts of
the Cosmoroute at El Taller Latino Americano with translator Anne McLean.Autonauts of the Cosmoroute is a love story, a travelogue, a collection of stories and snapshots, both visual and verbal, irreverent and brilliant.
In May of ‘82, Julio Cortázar, literary explorer of the highest order, set out with Carol Dunlop aboard their VW camper van (a.k.a. Fafner) to explore the uncharted territory of the Paris-Marseilles freeway. It was a route they’d driven before, usually in about ten hours. This time, they loaded up with supplies—food, water, wine, typewriters, cameras—and prepared for an arduous voyage of thirty-three days without leaving the autoroute, at a rate of two rest stops per day. Along the way they would uncover the hidden side of the freeway and take the notion of literature from a serious game to a logical, surreal extreme.
Hear Autonauts being discussed on NPR's All Things Considered
"The journey undertaken by Cortázar and his wife and collaborator Carol Dunlop is quixotic in the largest sense. At one level, it is an adventure stood on its absurd head. At another, it is something graver—a mask of comedy concealing the enigma of an archaic smile.”Read more about the book at the Archipelago web site:
—Richard Eder, The Los Angeles Times Book Review
A special gift for our students and friends and a rare glipse in the life of one of Latin America's literary giants, Julio Cortazar.
Dancin Words Poetry Reading and Closing Reception
February 22, 2008A poetry reading celebrating the closing reception of Carlos Ortiz 'Dancin', presented by two talented writers Judith Pine Bobé and m boncher; personal friends of the artist, an extension of a long and cherished friendship.
There will be two 35 minute readings, followed by a 30 minute open mic and the closing reception cocktail.
The Poets behind 'Dancin Words'
 In addition to a lifelong love affair with words, writer-producer-arts consultant Judith Pine Bobé has worked in theatre, dance, music, radio and television and in an assortment of other related areas including civil rights. Her poetry has appeared in such publications as Lips, The Ever Dancing Muse and the on-line literary journal, MEWSings. She has been a featured poet at many metro-area venues, including the Lower East Side Arts Festival, the Yakity Yak Poetry and Performance Series and the New Years Day Poetry Marathon at CBGBs. She has been a consultant for the New York State Council on the Arts and a grants panelist for the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. |
 m boncher¹s poetry is based on her work as a psychologist and political activist. It tells the stories of the children, families, and communities with whom she works and the social, political, and economic infrastructures that intersect and are the underpinnings of our lives. She shares her poetry at traditional poetry readings and through installation/performance pieces, art catalogues, and book publications in collaboration with the visual artist, Diogenes Ballester. |