The XXIII version of the Dominican Republic Jazz Festival will be held for the second time on August 31 at Los Establos in Cap Cana at 7 PM, with a musical repertoire by the Cuban pianist, Chucho Valdés; The prominent Dominican salsa player José Alberto “El Canario” and the saxophonist and composer Walter Smith III with the Berklee Global Jazz Institute Band.
The expected Jam at the Cap Cana Marina will be in Api Beach at 9:30 PM. This festival is an open access event.
About the musicians that will perform at the DR Jazz Fest
Chucho Valdés is winner of 9 Grammy Awards. He has received the Spanish Music Award in the Jazz category, National Music Award of Cuba, Distinction to Pedagogical Merit at the Higher Institute of Art of Havana and has received the keys to the following cities: Ponce, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New Orleans, Madison and Panama. Chucho Valdés was recognized as a “Goodwill Ambassador” for the FAO and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the Berklee College of Music.
José Alberto “El Canario” is a Dominican salsa singer. He was greatly acclaimed internationally for his unique voice and for his improvisations. His recordings include many that have achieved gold and silver thanks to the number of records sold. El Canario has 14 albums of his own and a “Congo de Oro” awarded at the Carnival Orchestra Festival of Barranquilla. He also won a Latin Grammy Award for Best Traditional Tropical Album.
Walter Smith III studied at Berklee College of Music and Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. He received the award of “United States Presidential Scholar in the Arts”. Smith participated in international and national festivals and has played in stages such as Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center.
The Berklee Global Jazz Institute (BGJI) is a creative music institute with a progressive vision to develop the artist of the new millennium. Students of the BGJI may pursue a bachelor’s degree, a diploma in performance, a two-year artist’s diploma or a Master of Music in Contemporary Performance. In addition to being mentored by and playing with jazz masters, students will travel together and perform at festivals in Dominican Republic, Panama, Costa Rica, Chile, Europe, and other locations.
