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Natasha Roldán & Jorge GilSeptember 2 at 7 pm
Natasha Roldán is a Singer/Songwriter/Composer whose vocals draw from the influences of Jazz and traditional Latin American and European Music, with an alternative touch. Her EP ‘No Apologies’, debuted on Canadian radio across three provinces prior to its official release in 2015, including a feature on Jazz FM 91’s show Jazzology. ‘No Apologies’ EP, produced by composer/producer Jorge Gil and co-produced by Natasha, has been described as an alternative jazz-pop record that features all original compositions, as well as performances by some of Toronto’s finest jazz musicians.
Natasha has been awarded the Ella Fitzgerald Award For Jazz Performance (2016), the Sorbara Award in Music (2015) and is a two-time nominee for Best Jazz Vocals at the Toronto Independent Music Awards (2015 & 2016). She was also a TEDx featured performer (2013) and a 2014 CBC Music Searchlight Regional Semifinalist. |
Natasha currently performs in venues and festivals in Canada and abroad with her solo act and multilingual performance project ‘Songs to travel the world’, she is also completing her Master’s degree in Music at York University. With amazing new compositions and hard work, this independent artist promises to shake the international music scene adding her unique style to the local flavour.
Hilario DuranSeptember 2 at 8 pm
Cuban born Hilario Durán grew up in Havana in a musical family surrounded by a variety of diverse musical influences daily. He began working as a professional musician in Cuba’s Los Papa Cun-Cun Ensemble and in a variety of musical formats. Later, in the 70’s, Durán was Chucho Valdés’ chosen successor in Cuba’s most modern big band, Orquesta Cubana de Música Moderna.
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Hilario Durán toured worldwide and performed with Dizzy Gillespie and Michel Legrand, among many others, as part of Arturo Sandoval’s band where he was pianist/keyboardist, arranger and musical director for 9 years.
Chucho Valdés has acknowledged Hilario Durán as one of the greatest Cuban pianists of the 20th century, calling the Grammy-nominated and multi-JUNO-award winner “an unparalleled pianist, composer and arranger of the first order”.
After making his mark in Cuba, Durán continued to hone his skills as a pianist, composer, arranger, and musical director of remarkable virtuosity. Since arriving in Canada, Hilario has made a name for himself, he is a multi-Canadian Juno Award winner and nominee; an American Grammy nominee; a multi-Canadian National Jazz Award winner & nominee; and the proud recipient of the 2007 Chico O’Farrill Lifetime Achievement Award, from Latin Jazz USA, for his outstanding contributions to Afro-Cuban Jazz and Latin Jazz.
Cuban-Canadian jazz pianist Hilario Durán is a fixture on the Toronto music scene. Durán immigrated in 1998 to Canada and was named as One of the 10 Most Influential Hispanic Canadians in 2009. Hilario has been named Best Artist of the Year 2013 by the Toronto Musicians’ Association and also as 2014 Best Vision Award Winner (Premio a la Trayectoria) for his work as entrepreneur as a director of his musical company, ES MI MUSICA PRODUCTIONS. He is also an educator at Toronto’s Humber College, acting as a piano teacher and ensemble director.
Hilario Durán has been based in Toronto for the past two decades, but his musical heart and soul have remained closely connected to the land of his birth. He has continued to collaborate with Cuban musicians, but he takes this to another level on Contumbao. In November 2016, Alma Records’ Peter Cardinali and award-winning engineer John ‘Beetle’ Bailey accompanied Durán to Havana, and the team set up shop in Cuba’s famed EGREM recording studio, the most storied such facility on the island. The cast of musical heavyweights assembled in Havana work their magic on 11 new Durán original compositions. Hilario’s mission is certainly fulfilled here, as Contumbao has an impressive dynamic range of different tempos, tones, and moods.
Chucho Valdés has acknowledged Hilario Durán as one of the greatest Cuban pianists of the 20th century, calling the Grammy-nominated and multi-JUNO-award winner “an unparalleled pianist, composer and arranger of the first order”.
After making his mark in Cuba, Durán continued to hone his skills as a pianist, composer, arranger, and musical director of remarkable virtuosity. Since arriving in Canada, Hilario has made a name for himself, he is a multi-Canadian Juno Award winner and nominee; an American Grammy nominee; a multi-Canadian National Jazz Award winner & nominee; and the proud recipient of the 2007 Chico O’Farrill Lifetime Achievement Award, from Latin Jazz USA, for his outstanding contributions to Afro-Cuban Jazz and Latin Jazz.
Cuban-Canadian jazz pianist Hilario Durán is a fixture on the Toronto music scene. Durán immigrated in 1998 to Canada and was named as One of the 10 Most Influential Hispanic Canadians in 2009. Hilario has been named Best Artist of the Year 2013 by the Toronto Musicians’ Association and also as 2014 Best Vision Award Winner (Premio a la Trayectoria) for his work as entrepreneur as a director of his musical company, ES MI MUSICA PRODUCTIONS. He is also an educator at Toronto’s Humber College, acting as a piano teacher and ensemble director.
Hilario Durán has been based in Toronto for the past two decades, but his musical heart and soul have remained closely connected to the land of his birth. He has continued to collaborate with Cuban musicians, but he takes this to another level on Contumbao. In November 2016, Alma Records’ Peter Cardinali and award-winning engineer John ‘Beetle’ Bailey accompanied Durán to Havana, and the team set up shop in Cuba’s famed EGREM recording studio, the most storied such facility on the island. The cast of musical heavyweights assembled in Havana work their magic on 11 new Durán original compositions. Hilario’s mission is certainly fulfilled here, as Contumbao has an impressive dynamic range of different tempos, tones, and moods.
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Giovanni RuizSeptember 3 at 7 PM
From melancholy classics of the Andean region to the contagious rhythms of the Caribbean; Giovanni's Latin Band can cater to any ambiance. The savory rhythms of Salsa, Cha- Cha, Merengue, Son, Mambo are sure to set your event aflame with dancing.
Acclaimed Flutist Giovanni offers a refreshing sound with his masterful play of various flutes. He has established himself as a phenomenal musician through noteworthy performances at The Beaches International Jazz Festival Toronto's First Night, Toronto Fiesta, Mariposa Festival, Festival Mundial de Folklore Drummondville Quebec, Festival of Parry Sound, The International Concert for Peace in Colombia and the World Youth Festival in Russia. His crisp and emotionally provocative music is known to rivet multifarious audiences. Canada's most prominent Latin Musicians make up this ensemble, infusing the band with their enriched backgrounds and creative flare. Giovanni's Latin Band plays an extensive repertoire that is exceedingly diverse and sways from a raw traditional sound to a musical fusion that borders Jazz. |
His latest CD, Sabor A Cafe, provides a taste of this rapturous blend.
Giovanni's Latin Band is adaptable and can be tailored to any size of event.
From duo to sextet format you can be assured that this festive ensemble will make your corporate event, wedding, concert or workshop unique and unforgettable. Together these talented musicians will bring you an exotic and uplifting performance that will take you to paradise.
Giovanni's Latin Band is adaptable and can be tailored to any size of event.
From duo to sextet format you can be assured that this festive ensemble will make your corporate event, wedding, concert or workshop unique and unforgettable. Together these talented musicians will bring you an exotic and uplifting performance that will take you to paradise.
Photo credit: MARK MARYANOVICH PHOTOGRAPHY
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Laura FernándezSeptember 3 at 8 pm
Born in Madrid, Spain, based in Toronto, Ontario: singer, songwriter, pianist, music producer, painter, award-winning illustrator and designer, radio host/producer. Laura was born in Madrid into a family that boasted Laura’s great grandfather as the mayor. She lived in Switzerland as a child, and her parents migrated to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where she spent her youth. Laura’s father was an architect, engineer, and a painter, and as a result, Laura grew up in a household where art, creativity and culture were valued and encouraged. Laura excelled in academics and ultimately dedicated her life to art. She graduated from the Alberta College of Art with honours and moved to Toronto, Ontario to begin a successful career in illustration, where she launched her music career.
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Laura had always loved ad played music and completed piano studies at The Royal Conservatory of Music. However, her primary creative outer had been art; with a distinguished career consisting of commercial illustration, children’s book illustration, design projects and other commissioned work. Some of her commissioned portraits include Margaret Atwood, Bill Gates Senior, and Sir Richard Francis Burton for the permanent collection of the Royal Geographic Society in London, England. Commercial illustration commissions include works for companies such as Estee Lauder, Air Canada, E.D Smith, Loblaws, Microsoft, and Coca-Cola. She has illustrated children’s pictures books including Jeremiah Learns to Read, Magnificent Piano Recital, Anne of Green Gables, Vivaldi’s Ring of Mystery and Tchaikovsky Discovers America. With Rick Jacobson, Fernandez won prestigious industry awards such as the Ruth Schwartz Award, the New York Arts Directors Club Award of Excellence, and the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Award, a gold medal for illustration awarded by the Canadian Library Association. She received multi–Toronto Art Directors Awards and a Communication Arts Magazine’s Award of Excellence for 4 consecutive years.
Laura Fernandez’s transition to a career as a recording artist and performer was a natural extension of her work as a visual artist, who sees her musical compositions as paintings, but expressed in a different medium. Laura says: “Painting and especially illustrating for 25 years, had become limiting for me and wasn’t answering all my creative questions. Music has become a voyage of self-discovery for me. There are no rules here, and this is exciting and liberating to me. I love the social aspects of making music, and the fact that it is a more direct route to the heart than painting”. Laura launched her debut CD The Other Side in 2003, an English language collection of songs described as lyric driven, melodic folk, rock-pop with groove. She won the Best Soft Rock Award at the 2003 New York International Independent Music Festival, which includes performances at Madison Square Garden; she has performed at venues such as the Knitting Factory, The Bitter End, The Continental, The TD Toronto Jazz Festival, Winterfolk, and the World Music Festival in Varadero, Cuba. She is on the board of Directors of the Association of Artists for a Better Work.
On October 27, 2010, Laura Fernandez released her second CD, Un Solo Beso. For producer, Laura found her musical soulmate in Montreal born, Toronto based, JUNO award winning Billy Bryans, who is recognized as one of Canada’s leading Latin and world msuci promoters, DJ and also the co-leader and percussionist of the internationally acclaimed Canadian band, The Parachute Club. Billy helped ensure cohesiveness within such as eclectic album. He explains:
“The musical quest for me was to find each song a ‘home’ where they could have a distinctive flavour and personality that supported the lyrics and the melody. Some song ended up in specific Latin American styles like merengue, bolero, and salsa, some ended up with a kind of hybrid sound, and some stayed in their original singer/songwriter structure”
This musical marriage created Un Solo Beso, fusing two approaches: the discipline of pop-folk song writing; and the musically expansive sound of Latin and jazz styles.
Un Solo Beso was recorded at Toronto recording studios Hallamusic, Canterbury Sound and Serpent One, and features three arrangers creating diversity that was true to Laura’s songwriting’s styles: JUNO award winning pianist Hilario Duran, guitarist/bandleader Luis Mario Ochoa, and keyboardist Roberto Linares Brown. All songs on Un Solo Beso were written by Laura Fernandez, except ‘Inolvidable’, by Julio Gutierrez and ‘Red Red Bird’ by Noah Zacharin with Spanish Translation by Laura Fernandez. Noah is the co-writer of A mi Padre and Que Linda es La Noche. Un Solo Beso features some Toronto’s most vibrant and highly acclaimed musicians including Hilario Duran, Roberto Linares Brown, Luis Mario Ochoa, Noah Zacharian, Glenda Del Monte Escalante, Alberto Alberto, Elmer Ferrer, Luiz Daniz, Roberto Riveron, Joaquin Hidalgo, Chendy Leon, Jalidan Ruiz, and Alexis Baro.
Laura Fernandez has officially been named to the Steinway Artist roster. She is the 20th member of this illustrious list from Canada, joining such contemporary artist as Billy joel, Diana Krall, Harry Connick Jr, Lang Lang, and past music greats such as Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Glenn Gould, and Sergei Rachmaninoff. Steinway & Sons maintains a selective process in naming Steinway Artist – choosing only pianos and a standard of excellence in their music.
Laura also found expression and joy in working with musicians who shared her Spanish language mother tongue; and did not feel constraint by genre barriers, instead preferred to let each song take on its own shape organically: Laura explains: “This made for an amazing connection, as language brings people together in a different way. We wanted to give every song its own personality. Instead of focusing on a record that would sound the same, I made a record that has a variety of characters. I don’t stick to convention in my life, so why should I in music? I have to write what I feel inside, and I also want to reach out and bring people and elements together”.
Laura Fernandez’s transition to a career as a recording artist and performer was a natural extension of her work as a visual artist, who sees her musical compositions as paintings, but expressed in a different medium. Laura says: “Painting and especially illustrating for 25 years, had become limiting for me and wasn’t answering all my creative questions. Music has become a voyage of self-discovery for me. There are no rules here, and this is exciting and liberating to me. I love the social aspects of making music, and the fact that it is a more direct route to the heart than painting”. Laura launched her debut CD The Other Side in 2003, an English language collection of songs described as lyric driven, melodic folk, rock-pop with groove. She won the Best Soft Rock Award at the 2003 New York International Independent Music Festival, which includes performances at Madison Square Garden; she has performed at venues such as the Knitting Factory, The Bitter End, The Continental, The TD Toronto Jazz Festival, Winterfolk, and the World Music Festival in Varadero, Cuba. She is on the board of Directors of the Association of Artists for a Better Work.
On October 27, 2010, Laura Fernandez released her second CD, Un Solo Beso. For producer, Laura found her musical soulmate in Montreal born, Toronto based, JUNO award winning Billy Bryans, who is recognized as one of Canada’s leading Latin and world msuci promoters, DJ and also the co-leader and percussionist of the internationally acclaimed Canadian band, The Parachute Club. Billy helped ensure cohesiveness within such as eclectic album. He explains:
“The musical quest for me was to find each song a ‘home’ where they could have a distinctive flavour and personality that supported the lyrics and the melody. Some song ended up in specific Latin American styles like merengue, bolero, and salsa, some ended up with a kind of hybrid sound, and some stayed in their original singer/songwriter structure”
This musical marriage created Un Solo Beso, fusing two approaches: the discipline of pop-folk song writing; and the musically expansive sound of Latin and jazz styles.
Un Solo Beso was recorded at Toronto recording studios Hallamusic, Canterbury Sound and Serpent One, and features three arrangers creating diversity that was true to Laura’s songwriting’s styles: JUNO award winning pianist Hilario Duran, guitarist/bandleader Luis Mario Ochoa, and keyboardist Roberto Linares Brown. All songs on Un Solo Beso were written by Laura Fernandez, except ‘Inolvidable’, by Julio Gutierrez and ‘Red Red Bird’ by Noah Zacharin with Spanish Translation by Laura Fernandez. Noah is the co-writer of A mi Padre and Que Linda es La Noche. Un Solo Beso features some Toronto’s most vibrant and highly acclaimed musicians including Hilario Duran, Roberto Linares Brown, Luis Mario Ochoa, Noah Zacharian, Glenda Del Monte Escalante, Alberto Alberto, Elmer Ferrer, Luiz Daniz, Roberto Riveron, Joaquin Hidalgo, Chendy Leon, Jalidan Ruiz, and Alexis Baro.
Laura Fernandez has officially been named to the Steinway Artist roster. She is the 20th member of this illustrious list from Canada, joining such contemporary artist as Billy joel, Diana Krall, Harry Connick Jr, Lang Lang, and past music greats such as Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Glenn Gould, and Sergei Rachmaninoff. Steinway & Sons maintains a selective process in naming Steinway Artist – choosing only pianos and a standard of excellence in their music.
Laura also found expression and joy in working with musicians who shared her Spanish language mother tongue; and did not feel constraint by genre barriers, instead preferred to let each song take on its own shape organically: Laura explains: “This made for an amazing connection, as language brings people together in a different way. We wanted to give every song its own personality. Instead of focusing on a record that would sound the same, I made a record that has a variety of characters. I don’t stick to convention in my life, so why should I in music? I have to write what I feel inside, and I also want to reach out and bring people and elements together”.
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Carla Casanova & The Latintrain
September 3 at 8 pm
Singer/Songwriter Carla Casanova was born in Venezuela but left her roots at a very early age to travel with her family across the globe. Music has always been an integral part of her life, from an early age she decided to study singing in different genres from ballads to rock and chanting. A multi-talented artist, Carla was born with a beautiful voice and a love for writing. This inspired her to make singing one of her life’s greatest journeys. She is constantly performing in festivals and is currently working on her first solo album which will be a mix of Bolero, Jazz and Latin swing. Carla is a current Marty Award nominee.
Carla also uses her art as a means of keeping Latin Roots alive and helping as an active member of the community through running workshops in Spanish for both singing and art at Mimo's Kids Arts centre, located in Mississauga.
Carla also uses her art as a means of keeping Latin Roots alive and helping as an active member of the community through running workshops in Spanish for both singing and art at Mimo's Kids Arts centre, located in Mississauga.
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Alexis BaroSeptember 3 at 8 pm
Alexis Baro was born into a musical family in Havana, Cuba. Classically trained, he took up the trumpet at the age of age 8 and completed his musical education receiving a teaching certification at the prestigious Amadeo Roldán Music Conservatory in Havana.
While in school he became a member of the Buena Vista Social Club super star Omara Portuondo's band, and later at the age of 19 played lead trumpet for the National Radio and Television Orchestra. |
After moving to Toronto, Canada in 2001, he was discovered by iconic Canadian jazz drummer Archie Alleyne where he florished as a writer and performer for eight years as a member of the Canadian award winning 'hard-bop" band Kollage. As a band member he was nominated for “Best Jazz Trumpeter” by the Canadian National Jazz Awards in the years 2006, 2007, and 2008. Baro has participated in more than 80 albums and can be heard as a feature solist on some of the most transcendent Latin albums made in Canada such as Hilario Duran’s Grammy Award nominated album “From The Heart”.He has performed with such artists as Nikky Yanofsky, David Foster, Michael Bubble, Paul Anka, Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, Brian Blade, Paquito d' Rivera, Jimmy Bosch, Miguel Zenon, Hilario Duran, Robi Botos, Jesus Alemaney & Cubanismo, David Virelles, Andrea Boccelli, Gino Vanelli, Esthero, David Rudder, Juan de Marco & The Afro-Cuban All Stars, and Horacio "el negro" Hernandez.Highlights in his solo career include opening for Herbie Hancock, and tours of South America and the West Indies. He’s released six albums as a solo artist “Havana Banana”, “From the Other Side”, “Blue Skin”, “Guilty Pleasure” ( Gold Medal “Global Music Award), "Sugar Rush" and his Juno Award Nominated 2018 release "Sandstorm".
