Cartagena Jazz Festival welcomes Omara Portuondo
THE SUPERLATIVE ‘iconic’ is used far too often these days, but when it is employed in conjunction with the Cuban singer Omara Portuondo, it almost under-achieves.
Now at a ripe age of 88 years, the Buena Vista Social Club member is returning to these shores for a headline performance at the Cartagena Jazz Festival.
Portuondo has performed in Cartagena many times, her first outing there being the city’s Mar de Músicas festival in 1998.
However, the queen of tropical music has intimated that this may be her final large international tour, so the festival organisers are anxious to give her a warm send-off just in case.
Portuondo will be opening the festival with a performance at El Batel auditorium on November 1.
This is followed on November 2, with performances by the flamencofusion pianist and composer Dorantes and the flamenco-jazz crossover trio of Benavent, di Geraldo and Pardo.
Next up on Friday, November 8 it is the turn of the ‘cutting edge drummer, producer, and sonic collagist’ Makaya McCraven, whose work has been lauded by the BBC Radio 6 DJ Gilles Petersen. Also on the same bill is the 2018 Mercury prize-nominated British jazz-world quartet Sons Of Kemet.
On Saturday, November 16 it is the turn of the female vocalists Stacey Kent and Mélanie De Biasio to wow the Cartagena crowds.
This is followed on Friday, November 22 with a performance by the acclaimed Korean jazz singer Youn Sun Nah.
The festival’s closing concert is on Saturday, November 23 and will be at the hands of the Israeli bass player Avishai Cohen and his trio consisting of Elchin Shirinov on piano and Noam David on drums.
Apart from Omara Portuondo, all concerts will be at the Nuevo Teatro Circo.
So if it is saying a possible goodbye to one of the greats of Cuban music or welcoming the rebel jazz of the Sons Of Kemet, be sure to make a date with Cartagena this coming November.
Further information and tickets are available from the festival website at https://jazz.cartagena.es/2019/ index.asp