Intelligently analyzing music consistently presents challenges that force the listener to decide which musical elements hold more weight. This becomes a monumental task in the modern Latin Jazz world, where the mass diversity of performance approaches can simply be staggering. Tradition plays a significant part in the equation, linking musicians back to their artistic influences. Latin Jazz artists need a coherent connection to Caribbean or South American music; the authentic application of traditional rhythms, melodies, or harmony speaks volumes about culture. At the same time, they need a firm foundation in the jazz language, with a working knowledge of everything from bebop charged Charlie Parker lines to modern Wayne Shorter melodies. These links to the past are important, but an over reliance upon them places the artist in a rather dry place artistically, constantly reinterpreting older works. They need to integrate contemporary musical ideals, ranging from the application of rock and funk rhythms to free improvisation and extended forms. They need to respect the innovations of their modern world and search for new sounds, including electronic instruments and different instruments from around the world. Then the artist needs to build upon their concepts and reinvent themselves over the long haul; ideally they do this in a more than superficial way that challenges both themselves and their listeners. When a listener weighs all these different pieces, they generally find artists that emphasize one piece of the puzzle over another – this unique combination shapes the musician’s identity.
The rare artist that finds a way to touch upon all these pieces presents a constant flow of inspiration – a perfect way to describe the work of innovative pianist Omar Sosa. Coming from a Cuban background, Sosa certainly creates music that respects his roots, but he doesn’t let it dominate his approach. Sosa reaches further into his cultural background, connecting his Cuban heritage with African traditions. His work includes African instruments, songs, rhythms and more; these pieces fit organically into Sosa’s music, acting as a solid grounding element. From there, any piece of the African diaspora becomes fair game for Sosa’s creative blend, ranging from hip hop to funk and beyond. Sosa mixes all of this diverse material with a healthy dose of jazz that overflows with freedom and lush harmonic depth. A shadow of Thelonious Monk sits behind Sosa, reflecting his unique sound; just like Monk in the bebop era, no one sounds quite like Sosa today. His constantly evolving series of projects range from performances with a consistent quartet to collaborations with symphony orchestras, with each context giving Sosa another change to challenge himself in new ways. His recordings reflect this sense of forward motion. Albums such as Free Roots and and Spirit of the Roots displayed early ideas; Nfumbe For The Unseen matched Sosa with percussionist John Santos; Mulatos brought in the Middle Eastern oud and Indian tablas; Afreecanos presented Sosa’s current group in a powerful display of cohesive musical concept; and Tales From The Earth combined Sosa with flautist Mark Weinstein in an engaging free jazz setting. With every new musical project, Sosa delivers a new and exciting musical idea that traces back to his roots while looking into the future, creating an ideal balance of musical concepts.
I’m anxiously awaiting Sosa’s latest recording, Ceremony, a collaboration with the NDR Big Band that will place his unconventional music in a very traditional setting. Looking forward to the promise of this album, today’s Weekly Latin Jazz Video Fix is dedicated to Sosa. The three clips below find Sosa performing with his Afreecanos quartet at the Sibiu Jazz Festival in 2009. There’s some serious music here that walks between a few different worlds, so take a long focused listen – you’ll find beauty, excitement, adventure, and more in Sosa’s music. Enjoy!
———- Omar Sosa & His Afreecanos Quartet Live At The Sibiu Jazz Festival
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Do you have a video to contribute to satisfy our weekly Latin Jazz video fix? If so, send it in – it’s time to feed our addiction. I’m looking for live performances, from any context. I’ll most likely be posting one video per week, but if you’ve got another idea, let’s talk. So come on Latin Jazz videographers, musicians, and fans – let’s share some of our memorable videos! Get my contact info HERE.
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