«Latin Night – Rompiendo La Rutina»

We were very much looking forward to embarking on a musical journey to the Caribbean at the upcoming Moods concert together with Juan Munguía, the Cuban trumpet legend who lives in Spain. Unfortunately, for health reasons, he is unable to come to Moods. We would like to take this opportunity to wish Juan a speedy recovery and hope that we can reschedule the concert with him soon.

Nevertheless, you won’t have to miss out on a “hot” concert evening at Moods. Yasek Manzano Silva will be stepping in for the evening. Daniel Schenker met the Cuban trumpeter and composer in New York in 2002. He was introduced to the New York jazz audience there during a concert by his mentor, Roy Hargrove. As luck would have it, the Havana-born musician has been in Switzerland for a good two weeks and, fortunately, agreed to join us immediately.

Yasek Manzano Silva began his musical studies at the Alejandro Garcia Caturla Conservatory in Marianao and played the music he heard on his parents’ LPs. In 1995, Manzano enrolled at the Amadeo Roldán Conservatory in Havana, where he began to take an interest in jazz music. Later, he attended the Havana School of Arts and Music. In 1997, American jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove gave him his first trumpet, and Silva began playing at various jam sessions around the city. He later traveled to New York and received a scholarship to the Juilliard School of Music, where he studied with jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and played in the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra. Since his return to Cuba in 2003, he has performed alongside Celia Cruz, Los Van Van, Irakere, Bobby Carcassés, and the British bands Manic Street Preachers and Simply Red.

So you can look forward to a rousing program: it’s quite possible that it will be difficult to sit still this evening. In addition to spirited salsa pieces, you’re sure to hear one or two arrangements with Latin American influences by Ed Partyka.