CubaPLUS Magazine

The 4th Matanzas Jazz Festival began its virtual presentations on Thursday with the musical spaces quot;Memorialquot; and quot;Jazz salutes the Sonquot;.

This meeting will promote the broad spectrum of the genre, said Miguel &Aángel quot;Miguelónquot; Rodríguez, president of the organizing committee, who also thanked the broad presence of musicians, despite the situation caused by COVID-19.

During the days of this meeting, with an online program until May 2, fans will be delighted with concerts offered by prominent groups from this western province, including the Matanzas Chamber Choir, the Matanzas Dixieland Club Quintet, the Casino Bellamar Orchestra, AfroCuba of Matanzas, the Atenas Brass Ensemble Quintet, the Mestizaje Group and the Muñequitos of Matanzas.

Also, lectures will be offered, including quot;Vocal jazz: notes for a storyquot;; quot;The legend of the wonderful blind man" and &Jazz and human rights: diversity, inclusion and freedom of improvisation", as well as the panel &Kills for jazz and vice versa".

On this occasion, this festival pays special tribute to the Afro antecedent, for being one of the influential elements common to jazz and Cuban music and is dedicated to the son, on occasion of the 50th anniversary of the death of Arsenio Rodríguez, from Matanzas, to the memory of maestro Sergio Pichardo, at 110 years of the birth anniversary of maestro Armando Romeu, on the 80th birthday of maestro Chucho Valdés and the recently disappeared prominent jazz player Chick Corea.

With this outstanding Jazz festival, the Athens of Cuba intends, in addition to inserting the city into the contemporary jazz scene, to support UNESCO#39;s initiative to dedicate a day to this musical genre and its cultists.