A Habana | Harlem™ premiere at Harlem Stage
George Wein’s CareFusion Jazz Festival
June 25, 2010
Cultural Fusion: Past, Present, Future explores the parallels between Havana and New Orleans by celebrating the music of composers who set the tone for later generations of artists and thinkers. Tickets on sale now: www.harlemstage.org
The period following the founding of the first black republic in our hemisphere set in motion forces responsible for forging the musical identity of Cuba, New Orleans and beyond. The aftershocks are evident as far north as Harlem and as far south as Buenos Aires. In New Orleans, the population of gens de coleur libre nearly doubled after Haiti’s revolution with a significant influx of African refugees from Cuba; many by way of Saint Domingue. The North American port city unique for its Creole culture – world renowned for its folklore, cuisine, culture and myriad living traditions links NOLA’s cultural fusion in many ways to colonial and post-colonial English, Dutch, French and Spanish speaking Caribbean islands.
The late nineteenth century was a time of adventurous musical experimentation. American classical composers like Louis Moreau Gottschalk, and William Tyers’ take on the tango kongo helped launch early jazz and ragtime music into the popular sphere. And, Cuban composers like Saumell, Cervantes and Jose White created a national identity with their radical use of European harmony, rich African rhythmic syncopation and a creole sensibility.
The premiere at Harlem Stage with acclaimed pianists Henry Butler (www.henrybutler.com) and Osmany Paredes (www.osmanyparedes.com) will begin with with curated selections from the late 19th Century including pieces from the “early jazz” period alongside ragtime, danzones, and habaneras to reveal and celebrate these historical parallels. Compositions featured will include La Borinquen; St. Louis Blues; Bamboula; La Paloma; La Tedezco; La Bella Cubana; Maple Leaf Rag; La Trocha; Havana Rag; Solace (a Mexican serenade); Almendra; and La Comparsa, among others. Audiences will also enjoy performances from each pianists own repertoire.
Curated by Onel Mulet, musical director, Habana | Harlem™ — Text by Neyda Martinez and Onel Mulet