Havana hosts the Jazz Plaza 2010 Int'l Fest

[Lois Gilbert]

Havana will host the 26th edition of the Jazz Plaza 2010 International Festival, which will bring together an important number of top level musicians from December 16th through the 19th.

The Vice-president of the event’s Organizing Committee, Alexis Vazquez, highlighted that the success of this edition is already guaranteed, due to the quality of participants, coming from a dozen countries.

This year is marked by the attendance of 20 foreign groups and artists and almost 50 from the island, clarified the executive, who stressed that the event will be dedicated to percussion in jazz.

Representing Cuba will be Chucho Valdes and Los Mensajeros Afrocubanos, the Jazz Band directed by Joaquin Betancourt, Bobby Carcasses, Havana Ensemble, and Hernan Lopez-Nussa, among others.

The event’s venues will be the Mella Theater, the Covarrubias Hall of the National Theater, the Plaza Culture Center, and the Rumba Palace, as well as La Zorra y el Cuervo nightclub and Havana’s Hotel Nacional.

The 6th Theoretical Colloquium will be held as part of the event, in which keynote lectures and talks will be given. Documentaries will be screened and magazines specialized in music, as well as jazz CD’s, will be sold.

The Festival is organized with the sponsorship of the Cuban Music Institute and the National Center of Popular Music, and is presided over by maestro Chucho Valdes.

JazzCorner.com will be there with podcasts interviews and events at http://jazzcorner.com/innerviews

Read more: http://www.cubaheadlines.com/2010/12...#ixzz17rYC2E2m
Original article here!

[Lois Gilbert]

Besides Arturo O'Farrill and the Chico O'Farrill Afro Cuban Orchestra, I believe Archie Shepp is performing (yes you heard me) and Andrea Brachfeld is performing with another group. Dave Burrell will also be in Cuba while I'm there but not performing. I'll let you know... off in a few hours.