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Boston, MA, October 25, 2007. Berklee presents its 8th Annual Latin Culture Celebration, an event organized by Berklee students to showcase the wealth of talented musicians from Latin America.
Public events take place November 6 through 8. The event features concerts and clinics presented by distinguished faculty, alumni, staff, and guest artists. Highlights include a local Latin all-star concert dedicated to the memory of TV producer Natatcha Estébanez; Casa Mendoza, directed by renowned faculty member Victor Mendoza; and a rare area performance by Brazilian singer/songwriter Rosa Passos. Concerts at the Berklee Performance Center, located at 136 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, are $10 general, $5 seniors, unless otherwise noted. Events in the David Friend Recital Hall, located at 921 Boylston St., Boston, are FREE. Please visit berklee.edu/events for more information.
Tuesday, November 6
Concert/Clinic: Sly and the Latin Bars Present Merengue Music
4:00 p.m. at David Friend Recital Hall
Silvestre José de Moya Castillo (Sly) is a Berklee alumnus and native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. His passion for music began at 3, and he quickly developed his percussion playing on his own. As a young adult, Sly continued to perfect his abilities and technique, taking influence and inspiration from drummers like Dave Weckle, Stewart Copeland, Buddy Rich, and others. Sly performs with artists including Fernando Capeans, Ramon Alnos, Essar Simo, Track One, Claudio Piantini, and Nini Caffaro, and has appeared in over 800 live performances since 2002.
Berklee Faculty Celebrates Latin Culture – A Concert Dedicated to the Memory of Natatcha Estébanez, Directed by Fernando Brandao
8:15 p.m. at Berklee Performance Center
Berklee Latin faculty members and guests will perform music from several South American and Caribbean countries in a tribute to the work and life of producer/writer/director Natatcha Estébanez. Estébanez was the producer of La Plaza, a WGBH-TV series about Latino culture, for which she won four New England Emmy Awards. She also produced movies, documentaries, and cultural programs about the Latino community. Performers include Leo Blanco, Jamey Haddad, Rick DiMuzio, Gilson Schachnik, Fernando Brandăo, Bertram Lehman, Alex Alvear, Consuelo Candelaria, Victor Mendoza, Dave Samuels, Oscar Stagnaro, Mark Walker, Eugene Friesen, Mili Bermejo, Dan Greenspan, Alon Yavnai, Claudio Ragazzi, Rebecca Cline, Manolo, Ernesto Diaz, and Daryl Lowery.
Wednesday, November 7
Marimba Music From Guatemala, Presented by Ricardo Monzon
7:30 p.m. at David Friend Recital Hall
Ricardo Monzon, assistant professor of percussion, is a drummer, percussionist, and in-demand studio musician who has performed or recorded with the Boston Pops, Orquesta Sinfonica de Guatemala, Walter Beasley, and the Dan Moretti Epic Brass Quintet. He is also a member of the Brian Walkley Band, the Zaitchik Brothers, and Myanna, and played on tracks for the Mary Tyler Moore HBO special, Squeeze, Montages on Copan, Mayan Passages, and other documentary films.
Casa Mendoza, with Special Guest Oscar Feldman, Directed by Victor Mendoza
8:15 p.m. at Berklee Performance Center
Considered to be one of today’s finest Latin jazz artists, Mexican-born vibraphonist and composer Victor Mendoza’s career includes performances with his own group, and as a guest soloist at events around the world. Recordings and performances with his own group, as well as with artists such as Paquito D’Rivera, Danilo Pérez, Michel Camilo, Claudio Roditi, Giovanni Hidalgo, Horacio “El Negro” Hernández, and Antonio Sánchez, have earned him the respect of critics and jazz fans around the globe. Mendoza, a percussion professor, has released CDs including Victor Mendoza, If Only You Knew, and This Is Why.
Thursday, November 8
Clinic: Tango 101 - A Beginner's Guide to Tango Music with Oscar Feldman
1:00 p.m. at David Friend Recital Hall
Argentinean alumnus saxophonist Oscar Feldman gives a clinic to help beginners understand tango music. Feldman gained recognition in 1999 with his impressive recording debut as a leader, El Angel.
Known for his splendid tonalities and melodically outstanding charts, he demonstrates superb skill on alto, tenor, and soprano saxophone, while employing a wide range of Pan-American references, from straight ahead and tango, to candomble, samba, and mambo. Feldman has extensive experience performing and recording as a leader, and with artists including Paquito D’ Rivera, Al Di Meola, and Eumir Deodato.
Afro Brazilian Music: Presented by Marcus Santos
4:00 p.m. at David Friend Recital Hall
Marcus Santos, Daniel D’Errico, and Sandro Scoccia, director of performance technology at Berklee, present a clinic on the sacred rhythms of Candomble and how they made their way into folkloric music. All Brazilian music can trace its origins to the melding of European, African, and Native American traditions. This event focuses on the African tradition rooted in West African religions [Candomble], and how this tradition, still very present in Brazil, continues to influence the general development of Brazilian music.
Rosa por Berklee, Directed by Oscar Stagnaro
8:15 p.m. at Berklee Performance Center. Tickets for this concert are $30, $22.50 seniors.
The 2007–2008 Sovereign Bank Music Series at Berklee opens with the great Brazilian singer and songwriter Rosa Passos, known for keeping alive traditional Brazilian jazz with all of its mystery, rhythm, and romance intact. She'll perform songs from her internationally renowned catalog along with the music of other Brazilian ambassadors such as Gilberto Gil, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Djavan, and Joao Bosco. A group of Berklee students, faculty, and alumni, under the direction of bass professor Oscar Stagnaro, will provide the musical backing for an amazing night surveying 50 years of Brazilian popular music.
Berklee College of Music was founded on the revolutionary principle that the best way to prepare students for careers in music was through the study and practice of contemporary music. For over 60 years, the college has evolved constantly to reflect the state of the art of music and the music business. With over a dozen performance and nonperformance majors, a diverse and talented student body representing over 70 countries, and a music industry "who's who" of alumni, Berklee is the world's premier learning lab for the music of today — and tomorrow.
