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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact
Elaine
Delgado
Director of Marketing &
Individual
Giving
(787) 627-9228
[email protected]
Arturo O’Farrill and Casita Maria
Launch
BLITZ, a Provocative
Approach
to Increasing Jazz
Audiences in The Bronx Casita
Maria
928 Simpson Street
Bronx,
NY 10459
SCHEDULE
OF FREE
BLITZ BRONX
PERFORMANCES
Friday,
February 27, 2015
7 PM
Location:
EL MAESTRO
1300 Southern Blvd.
Collaborating
Artist:
QIUYI WU
Friday, March 27, 2015
7 PM
Location:
LONGWOOD
LAUNDROMAT
860 Longwood Ave.
Collaborating Artist:
W.A.F.F.L.E NYC
Friday, April 24, 2015
7 PM
Location:
MONSIGNOR RAUL DEL
VALLE SQUARE
Hunts Point 6 Train
Station, NYC Parks Plaza
Collaborating Artists:
MILTERI TUCKER, LUCY
APONTE, CIRQUE DU
MONDE and THE SOUTH
BRONX KINGS BATON
TWIRL TEAM
BLITZ ensemble: Arturo O'Farrill (piano), Will Calhoun (drums), Bam Bam Rodríguez: (bass),
Alejandro Avilés: (saxophone), Kali Rodríguez-Peña: (trumpet). Photos: David Garten/O’Farrill, Bill
Bernstein/Calhoun, Eliseo Cardona/Rodríguez, Carlos Rubin/Avilés and Ben Hoste/Rodríguez-Peña.
BRONX, NY – (February 2015) ARTURO O’FARRILL and CASITA MARIA
CENTER FOR ARTS & EDUCATION are proud to present BLITZ, a new Bronxbased Latin Jazz ensemble. They will be premiering original music inspired by local
Bronxites and performing along with interdisciplinary artist collaborators in
nontraditional venues throughout the South Bronx.
The musicians that form BLITZ are ARTURO O’FARRILL, WILL CALHOUN, BAM
BAM RODRÍGUEZ, ALEJANDRO AVILÉS and KALI RODRÍGUEZ-PEÑA. These
free concerts are part of the Building Demands for the Arts initiative and made
possible by the DORIS DUKE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION. All events are open
to the public and suitable for all ages.
Created by multi-Grammy award-winning, pianist, composer and bandleader Arturo
O’Farrill, Blitz is a form of “guerrilla Jazz.” Its mission is to breakdown the traditional
boundaries, stereotypes and preconceived notions around Jazz in order to promote
its growth as a genre and ability to reach new audiences.
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QUOTES ON BLITZ
“Blitz, Casita Maria and the
Doris Duke Charitable
Trust are allowing me to do
what I've dreamt of for
many years. Bringing jazz
to people where they live,
with community musicians,
making it relevant to the
lives they live. Whilst it's
okay to have
expensive wood-paneled
corporate jazz, if you want
to impact peoples lives you
need to enter their world,
with love and respect for
their intellect and their
aesthetic." – Arturo
O’Farrill
For O’Farrill, The Bronx’s long history of musical innovation within Afro-Cuban
Latin Jazz, Hip Hop and Salsa made the borough the ideal place to develop
something radical and experimental. To accomplish this goal, he partnered with
Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education, an 80 year-old organization deeply
rooted in arts and culture within the South Bronx community.
Like its name, “Blitz,” (an acronym for “Bronx Latin Jazz”), the project represents a
sudden and surprising convergence of eclectic yet recognizable sights and sounds
in unexpectedly familiar places. Accessibility, diversity and inclusion are the
underlying values throughout all aspects of the project– from the formation of the
ensemble and the original compositions to the artist collaborations and venues.
For the new ensemble, O’Farrill reached out to two Bronx musicians as its cobandleaders: Grammy award-winning drummer and master of cross-genre
composing, Will Calhoun and the widely-acclaimed bassist Bam Bam Rodríguez
along with internationally renown saxophonist Alejandro Avilés and the young
prodigy trumpeter Kali Rodríguez Pena to complete Blitz.
In order to ensure that the music would accurately represent The Bronx, five
Bronxites were chosen to share their stories as the inspiration for the music. These
include the political and social activists, Bob Sancho, Dr. Hetty Fox and Ann
Calhoun as well as music legends Andy González and Benny Bonilla.
“Blitz is a radical and
provocative experiment in
the intersection of art,
artists, people and places.
From the very beginning,
Arturo’s concept of a
familiar and accessible
form of “guerrilla Jazz” has
been deeply rooted in The
Bronx’s history, local
artists, community and
everyday life. He is a
fearless visionary, willing to
break all the rules and
preconceptions of Jazz
while honoring its earliest
foundation of Afro-CubanLatin influences. He is our
Arts Superhero.” –
Christine Licata, Curator
and Director of Performing
and Visual Arts at Casita
Maria
Under the guidance of oral historian Corianna Moffatt, each Blitz musician
interviewed one of the selected Bronx residents to hear their life stories. The
interviewees shared the sights, sounds and even smells that form their memories
and perception of The Bronx. Based on this information, the ensemble members
individually composed a new piece of music that will be premiered at each of the
three upcoming Blitz concerts.
“The South Bronx
community has a history of
improvisational creation of
music and we hope that
Blitz awakens this
excitement and increases
Jazz audiences in our
community.” – Sarah
Calderon, Executive
Director at Casita Maria
The first live performance will be on Friday, February 27, 2015 from 7–8 PM at
EL MAESTRO, a boxing gym and cultural center, located at 1300 Southern
Boulevard. The event will feature collaborating multimedia artist QIUYI WU as well
as premiere two new, original compositions by Arturo O'Farrill and Bam Bam
Rodriguez inspired by the lives of Bronxites BOB SANCHO and ANDY
GONZÁLEZ.
The performances will all occur in local South Bronx organizations and businesses
such as El Maestro Boxing Gym and Cultural Center and The Longwood
Laundromat as well as open public spaces like the Monsignor Raul Del Valle
Square at the Hunts Point 6 Train. No tickets, RSVP’s or even advanced
notifications are needed. Inspired by the origins of Afro Latin Jazz, the music takes
place in the spaces of daily life, work and common rituals. It is wherever you are.
Blitz also incorporates interdisciplinary influences and artists from a broad range of
visual and performing art practices as collaborators. The first three performances
will include the W.A.F.F.L.E NYC Hip Hop dancers, who are famous (and
infamous) for performing original, expansive choreography within the extremely
restrictive MTA subway cars; multimedia artist Qiuyi Wu who creates colorful,
dynamic projections that interactively respond to the surrounding environment;
Milteri Tucker, a master of Puerto Rican and African Diaspora traditional dances;
THE POINT’s Cirque du Monde, comprised of young Bronx acrobats and jugglers
taught by Cirque du Soleil’s social education program; The South Bronx King
Baton Twirl Team and teaching artist Lucy Aponte with a kite flying workshop for
all ages.
The second performance will be on Friday, March 27, 2015 from 7–8 PM at the
LONGWOOD LAUNDROMAT, located at 860 Longwood Avenue. The event will
feature the artist collective W.A.F.F.L.E NYC as well as premiere two new
compositions by Will Calhoun and Kali Rodriguez-Pena inspired by the lives of
Bronxites ANN CALHOUN and DR. HETTY FOX.
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CASITA MARIA CENTER
FOR ARTS &
EDUCATION is an 80-year
old South Bronx-based
community arts and
educational organization
that presents diverse,
contemporary visual and
performing arts and
education programming for
all ages.
www.casitamaria.org
The culminating BLITZ celebration and performance will take place on Friday, April
24, 2015 from 7-8 PM at MONSIGNOR RAUL DEL VALLE SQUARE located at
the Hunts Point MTA Plaza (6 Train). The event will begin with a kick-off by
collaborating performers CIRQUE DU MONDE and THE SOUTH BRONX KINGS
BATON TWIRL TEAM followed by dancer MILTERI TUCKER. The event will also
include a new composition by Alejandro Avilés inspired by the life of Bronxite
BENNY BONILLA.
BLITZ was made
possible by the generous
support of the Doris
Duke Charitable
Foundation.
ARTURO O’FARRILL is a world-renowned, multi-Grammy-award winning Latin Jazz
pianist, composer, orchestra leader and educator. He is the founder and leader of The Afro
Latin Jazz Orchestra (ALJO). He is also the founder of the nonprofit Afro Latin Jazz Alliance
(ALJA) whose mission is to promote Afro Latin Jazz through a comprehensive array of
performance and educational programs. www.arturoofarrill.com www.afrolatinjazz.org
ABOUT THE BLITZ ENSEMBLE, COLLABORATING ARTISTS &
INSPIRATIONAL BRONXITES.
For full-length bios, please visit www.casitamaria.org
WILL CALHOUN is an internationally acclaimed, multi-Grammy-award winning drummer,
composer, songwriter and photographer. Born and raised in The Bronx, he is the drummer
of the rock band Living Colour, founder and leader of The Will Calhoun Quintet and the
band Native Lands (aka AZA). www.willcalhoun.com
BAM BAM RODRÍGUEZ was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela and currently lives in
The Bronx. He is a gifted bassist, composer and bandleader. He is the co-founder of the
bands R.A.M. (Rodríguez, Aksunger, Milea) and Mulix, and also co-founded a duo project
with Hungarian vocalist Artemisz Polonyi called “Light at Both Ends of the Tunnel.”
www.facebook.com/thebasswalker
ALEJANDRO AVILÉS is a Bronx-based Cuban-American saxophone player, composer
and educator. He has performed along with many of the legendary Latin Jazz pioneers and
is the founder and leader of the Alejandro Avilés Latin Jazz Quartet. Avilés has been
awarded numerous honors and recognitions throughout his career, most recently the 2015
Fulbright Award. www.alejandroavilesjazz.com
KALI RODRÍGUEZ-PEÑA was born in Havana, Cuba and recently moved to The Bronx. A
gifted trumpet player and emerging composer, he has played with many acclaimed Cuban
and international musicians. He recently was awarded a full scholarship to the Manhattan
School Of Music for Jazz Performance. www.facebook.com/kalirodriguezpena
COLLABORATING ARTISTS
QIUYI WU is a New York City-based interdisciplinary artist with a focus in experimental
design, editing, coding, music making and dance. www.wasinfall.com
W.A.F.F.L.E NYC (the We Are Family For Life Entertainment) is an innovative New York
City-based artist collective that includes an interdisciplinary mix of artistic practices
including dance, acting, original music producing and Rapping.
www.facebook.com/WaffleNYC
MILTERI TUCKER is a Bronx-based dancer, choreographer and educator. She is the
Founder of the Bombazo Dance Company with a mission to showcase choreography that
have been influenced by the Afro-Latino diaspora. She has performed extensively
throughout New York and worked with numerous acclaimed dancers and chorographers.
www.bombazodanceco.com
LUCY APONTE is a Bronx-based artist and educator. She currently works with the New
York City Parks Department to bring arts and cultural activities to Soundview Park visitors.
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Collaborating local
organizations and
business partners:
El Maestro Centro
Cultural y Educativo,
Longwood Laundromat
and The New York City
Parks Department.
THE POINT’s CIRQUE DU MONDE is an arts program at the Bronx-based organization,
THE POINT in partnership with Cirque du Soleil that utilizes circus-based art forms as
an alternative education tool to engage youth in communities around the world.
www.THEPOINT.org
THE SOUTH BRONX KINGS BATON TWIRL TEAM offers youth positive motivation
and coaching as well as a fun and encouraging atmosphere in “learning to twirl.”
ORAL HISTORIAN & INSPIRATIONAL BRONXITES
CORIANNA MOFFATT is a New York-based singer, musician, actor, director,
dramaturg and oral historian. In addition to working with the inspirational Bronxites for
the original compositions created by the BLITZ ensemble musicians, Moffatt recently
completed an oral history project entitled “Impossible Questions Tour.”
www.impossiblequestionstour.com
BOB SANCHO is a born and raised Bronxite. In 1981 he was appointed Vice President
of Development and External Affairs at Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center. Throughout his
many career successes in education and heath servies, Sancho has remained an
important Community Leader and Advocate in both East Harlem and The Bronx. He is
also an unwavering supporter of arts and artists.
ANDY GONZÁLEZ is an internationally acclaimed and legendary Jazz, Latin-Jazz and
Salsa bassist, composer and arranger of Puerto Rican traditional music. In addition to
playing with numerous fellow Latin musician greats and producing a prolific body of
music, he was a recording artist with Fania Records and a founding member of the
groups Conjunto Anabaco and Grupo Folklórico y Experimental Nuevayorkino.
DR. HETTY FOX is a Bronx-born and based poet, writer, musician, community leader
and activist. She is founder and current director of the self-funded, 45 year-old, nonprofit Lyman Community Center where impoverished adults and children can live and
learn the skills they need to get back on their feet and prosper.
ANNE CALHOUN is a Bronx-based retired teacher and social worker as well as an
ongoing community leader. She has developed numerous, local neighborhood support
programs including substance abuse support groups and social services advocacy. She
is also Will Calhoun’s mother and is responsible for his love of music.
BENNY BONILLA is a Latin music drummer, community leader and born and raised
Bronxite. As An internationally renowned part of Latin music history, he played the
congas and timbales on hundreds of songs including, I Like it Like That, with Pete
Rodriguez y su Conjunto. Bonilla also had a long career as a Supervisor at the NYC
Department of Parks & Recreation. Now retired, he dedicates his time to supporting
local arts and cultural institutions such as Casita Maria and the Bronx Music Heritage
Center.
COLLABORATING VENUE PARTNER
EL MAESTRO INC. is a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the
quality of life of people in the community through social activities such as sports,
cultural and educational programs. El Maestro focuses on grassroots activism
as a means of strengthening the South Bronx community.
80 YEARS: EMPOWERING MINDS. IGNITING CREATIVITY.
928 Simpson Street | Bronx, New York 10459 | www.casitamaria.org