Chico Álvarez

Whether fronting his personal music group, hosting one of is own radio shows, creating a documentary, developing album addresses, or composing liner notes and content articles about essential Latin music artists, Chico Álvarez pays off almost just as much focus on Cuban-American music simply because Fidel Castro did to residing in power. He shouldn’t be baffled with Alfred “Chico” Alvarez, a Canadian-born trumpeter who was simply among the stars from the Stan Kenton music group within the ’40s. Younger Alvarez provides quite a unique background for the Latin musician. Although he was created in NY, he was raised in Cuba and came back to america just with time to experience a rigorous cross-fertilization of dark American and Cuban music. These advancements have remained one of is own main interests, leading to several outstanding radio documentaries on topics such as for example jazzman Dizzy Gillespie. Since 1989, Álvarez continues to be connected with WBAI radio in NEW YORK and weekly applications like the ” NEW WORLD ” Gallery. The last mentioned show is completely created, hosted, and constructed by Álvarez, an example of his hands-on, hard-working flexibility. He in addition has hosted applications on WADO and Harlem’s community radio WHCR. His Latino Con Jazz over the previous station was shown in Spanish, but includes a wide variety of music from the brand new York urban region and for that reason attracts a big bilingual market. In 1995, Álvarez kicked off his very own Afro-Caribe Band, making use of some past associates of the group Nosotros. The group presents designs such as for example Afro-Cuban jazz with affects from Brazil, Africa, the Western world Indies, and also Europe. On the following decade, Álvarez trim eight different albums being a vocalist and bandleader, a lot of which highlighted his own record art styles. He also was energetic being a lecturer on topics such as for example salsa at a number of universities and schools. In 2001, he was nominated for many awards in the Latin Jazz USA Honours Committee and received the Chico O’Farrill Life time Achievement Prize for his efforts to Latin jazz. The next calendar year, Álvarez was fronting a ten-piece orchestra offering cream-of-the-crop players such as for example Chocolate Armenteros, Pupi Insua, Small Johnny Rivero, Pedrito Martinez, Angelo Vaillant, Candido Camero, Ralph Irrizary, and Edmar Castaneda. Alvarez also collaborates using the rhumba group Quinto Mayor, led by conga drummer Gene Golden. Because the last mentioned player also works together with Álvarez’s regular group, promoters have discovered it practical to mix both groupings for displays. Listeners may also discover Álvarez credits on a number of releases by various other Latin performers. He frequently styles album addresses, weighs in with liner records, and can be sometimes involved with sequencing and editing aswell.