Meet The Amazing Arturo Sandoval
Jazz legend Arturo Sandoval is making his way to Saskatchewan this week, appearing at the SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival on Friday and the Casino Regina Show Lounge on Saturday. A world-renowned trumpeter, pianist and composer, Sandoval has fashioned a remarkable career and legacy over the past 40 years.
Here’s a look at Sandoval’s life and career:
THE MAN
Sandoval was born in Artemisa, Cuba on Nov. 6, 1949. He attended the prestigious Cuban National School of the Arts, later joining Cuba’s All-Star National Band. He defected to the United States in 1990 and became a U.S. citizen in 1999. After living 20 years in Miami, Sandoval moved to Southern California in 2011.
THE NUMBERS
Over 38 years, Sandoval has released 47 albums. Nominated for 17 Grammy Awards, he has won nine times. He has also picked up one Emmy Award, for the movie For Love Or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story, along with six Billboard Music Awards. Sandoval received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013.
THE INSPIRATION
While living in Cuba, Sandoval was frustrated by the government’s prohibition of jazz music. Sandoval got around the ban by developing a style that combined jazz with funk, bebop, dance and classical music. His career changed in 1977 when he met jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie who became a mentor, friend and father figure to Sandoval. After becoming a member of Gillespie’s United Nations Band, Sandoval eventually decided to defect — he walked away from his life in Cuba during a European tour in 1990. Sandoval explained Gillespie’s impact on his career and life in a 2012 interview with Fox News: “When I met him, it was like a gift from God. He changed my life with his friendship and support. He encouraged me to always keep trying, practising and learning.”
THE GLITZ
Sandoval was invited by composer Hans Zimmer to participate in the musical score of the 2014 feature film The Amazing Spider-Man 2. In addition to Sandoval’s trumpet, which is featured throughout the film, he also worked with The Magnificent Six, a super group comprised of Pharrell Williams, Johnny Marr, Mike Enziger, Junkie XL, Andrew Kawcynki and Steve Mazzaro.
THE QUOTE
“When God gives you a mission and gives you some talent to create music, you must do it. Nothing’s going to stop you. Not even Castro.” (from a 2013 interview with Investor’s Business Daily).