Hear our interview with Omar Sosa

Six-time GRAMMY-nominated Cuban composer and pianist Omar Sosa is one of the most versatile jazz artists on the scene today. He fuses a wide range of jazz, world music, and electronic elements with his native Afro-Cuban roots to create a fresh and original urban sound – all with a Latin jazz heart. Mr. Sosa’s latest recording, Calma, reached the Billboard charts in February 2011, and his previous CD, Ceremony, receive an ECHO Jazz Award in Germany in June 2011 His recent CD, Afreecanos, explores the African roots of traditional musics throughout the Diaspora, using modern jazz harmonies and the latest audio technology. The Afreecanos ensemble fuses the folkloric with the contemporary, the ancestral with the urban. Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune recently commented that “Cuban pianists often tower over their peers. But within this elite class of pianists, few have been more stylistically adventurous than Omar Sosa. Though deeply schooled in jazz improvisation techniques, Sosa always has pushed beyond jazz orthodoxy. https://omarsosa.com

Seckou Keita has arguably become the most influential and inspiring Kora player of his generation, an exceptional and charismatic musician and a modern global citizen, with seven centuries of tradition and heritage expressed through his music. Described as a ‘griot (praise singer), composer, djembe master, virtuoso and pioneer’, Seckou Keita is a rare type of musician, seated in tradition whilst constantly pushing the boundaries of his art.   A true master of the kora – a 22 stringed West African harp – Seckou, from the Casamance art of the ancient kingdom of Gabou in Southern Senegal, was a childhood prodigy, born of a line of griots and kings. Cissokho, his mother’s family name, gave life to his talent; Keita, his father’s, gave him royal blood.   Seckou has graced the international stage since 1996, earning worldwide acclaim for his kora playing; appearing with a host of respected artists of artists including Salif Keita, Paul Weller, Bassekou Kouyate, Damon Albarn… https://www.seckoukeita.com