About the album
With his concerts and recordings he has managed to spread and project the rhythms of Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Peru, Curacao, Surinam: Gerardo Rosales. He and his Afro Cuban Jazz Quintet conquer the world with this Challenge Records release! They play Chano Pozo’s music with a new sound and vision, 70 years after its creation.
Chano Pozo is one of a handful of Cuban percussionists who came to the United States in the 1940s and 50s. Other notable congueros who came to the U.S. during that time include Mongo Santamaria, Armando Peraza, Francisco Aguabella, Julito Collazo, Carlos Vidal Bolado and Modesto Duran. Pozo moved to New York City in early 1947 with the encouragement of Miguelito Valdés, and participated in a recording session with Valdés, Arsenio Rodríguez, Carlos Vidal Bolado and José Mangual. In September 1947 he featured with Dizzy Gillespie's Big Band at Carnegie Hall and subsequently on a European tour. Their notable material includes "Cubana Be, Cubana Bop" (written by George Russell), and "Tin Tin Deo" and Manteca (song), both co-written by Pozo.
- De jazz geschiedenis veranderde sinds Chano Pozo, percussionist, met zijn conga ging spelen met Dizzy Gillespie, bebopper
- Vanaf dat moment is de Cubop of Afro Cuban jazz geboren: een mix van Cubaanse muziek en jazz, die nu Latin jazz wordt genoemd
- Gerardo Rosales' Afro Cuban Jazz Quintet speelt Chano Pozo’s muziek met een nieuwe sound en een nieuwe visie, 70 jaar na haar creatie
- Thema's als “Manteca”, “Tin Tin Deo”, “Blen Blen Blen”, “Cubana Be” en anderen herleven met een nieuwe sound en nieuw concept
- De Afro-Cuban ritmiek is de 'protagonist’ in dit project
- Cajones, congas, bongo, drums, guaguancó ritmes gemengd met jazz swing, dit zijn de basis elementen voor het Cubop-Bebop geluid geïnterpreteerd op een nieuwe manier
- "Gerardo Rosales is literally obsessed with music" - latinartiesten.nl
Gerardo Rosales was born the 6th of July in Caracas, Venezuela. Since 1993 he is living in Europe. At the age of 8 he started studying the piano. At the same time he is interested in playing the congas and bongo.
In 1977, at the age of 13, he gets to know Orlando Poleo, who invites him to study Afro Caribbean percussion at the "Taller de Arte" In the suburb Sarria in his native town Caracas. From 1977 till 1980 he studies congas and bongo with Orlando Poleo and timbales with Alberto Borregales. In 1985 he studies Afro Venezuelan percussion with Alexander Livinali at the "Fundación Bigott".
In 1987 he starts making his career with important figures like Soledad Bravo, Cecilia Todd, Canelita Medina, Alberto Naranjo y el Trabuco Venezolano, Maria Rivas, Joe Ruiz, Ilan Chester, Orquesta Café, trina Medina y Yarake, Victor Cuica and many more. At the same time he founds his own orquestra named "Salsa 70" and with this band he is performing in all the suburbs, theaters and dance halls of the capital. In 1992 he is invited to participate in the Expo Sevilla in Spain with the band "Caracas Son 7". From this moment he decides to stay in Europe.
Some of the artists with whom he worked with in Europe are Alfredo Rodriguez, Orlando Poleo y Chaworo, Conexión Latina, Nicky Marrero, Paquito D’Rivera, Bebo Valdés, Cubop City Big Band, New Cool Collective, Fra Fra Sound, Laura Fygi, Rosenberg Trio, Nueva Manteca, Peter Beets, Drums United, Michael Franti, Andy Montañez, Meñique, Yolanda Rivera and many more. From 1996 till today Gerardo Rosales plays with his own salsa and Latin Jazz projects in Europa and other places over the wordl.
With his concerts and recordings he has managed to spread and project the rhythms of Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Peru, Curacao, Surinam.
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