Ana Caridad Acosta: How Lovely Is My Land!

Classical Music

Whoever watches the Samba Schools parading in Rio de Janeiro nowadays may not perceive the Samba’s musical richness both as a musical and literary genre. The Samba is, however, in its origins a very sophisticated musical form from a poetic, instrumental and harmonic viewpoint. A typical expression of urban popular culture, its origins go back to the most popular styles among Rio de Janeiro’s inhabitants, once the country’s capital city. The classically trained Brazilian singer Cristiane Roncaglio is also an enthusiast of Brazilian music, Bossa Nova as well as Música Popular Brasileira.

Composer and Latin Grammy-winning flautist Nestor Torres has inspired a generation of composers to write music that has made vivid contributions to the instrument’s repertoire. This album represents his first foray into classical recording and his own unique fusion of Caribbean virtuosity and classical training can be savored in his own composition, “Marta y Maria.” Tania Leon’s “del Caribe, soy!” encapsulates the pulsing rhythms, vibrant color and improvisatory elements that represent the key features of the album and contrasts beautifully with the seductive allure and expressive depth of Miguel del Aguila’s “Miami Flute Suite.”

The Latin Sextet was founded in the 1990s. It's members, all of them seasoned musicians, hail from Brazil, Chile and Germany. In their music, they combine Latin American tradition with European and American styles. The six-piece band present folkloristic melodies from Brazil or Cuba, driven by Brazilian/Cuban rhythms fused with jazzy harmonies. The sizzling hot result could be called "Latin Jazz." The Latin Sextet is Gerd Marino, Jonas Mo, Carsten Ulbricht, Mauricio Calquin, and Rogerio Jardim. The group is joined for these recordings by some of the most talented Latin and jazz musicians on the scene today, including Victor Hugo Ormeno, Griselle Colon, and Geppino Guadagno.

JAZZ LATINAS / VARIOUS