A year ago, we could not have imagined that we would have had an experience like this, going to Puerto Rico “”The Island of Enchantment”, absolutely a fantastic place.
The incredible dedication of the Rodríguez Olaverri family and friends, music and jazz lovers, in particular Bernie, Julio Miranda and José Aníbal Collazo, made this all come true!
We gave two concerts in San Juan: the first one in the jazz hall of old San Juan “Carli´s”, where we had the opportunity to play with the Puerto Rican pianist and composer Carli Muñoz. And thanks to promoter Christopher Rivera, we had our 2nd concert in Paseo Caribe where we met the Puerto Rican singer Edgar Ríos with whom we shared the stage, playing “Black Tears” by Miguel Matamoros. We learned immediately that in the Caribbean, they really ‘live the music’ with great intensity and respect for the musician.
We also took the time to visit the “Conservatory of San Juan” where we attended a Big Band class and seeing firsthand how they work on Latin Jazz and Salsa: we loved it!
Just before the end of the trip we were lucky enough to get tickets for the Big Band concert, featuring trumpet player Humberto Ramírez, one of the musicians of the legendary Fania All Stars. And coincidence or not, among the public was another great performer: Ismael Miranda, singer of the mythical band that was invited to perform along with the Big Band: a luxury treat. We have brought a lot of music and many friends to Spain, now let’s see if we can repeat it soon!
