Jazz Plaza International Festival

Since last Sunday, my days are a mix of music, lights, art and smiles. These sensations are due to the fact that I have been participating in several of the activities that take place during the celebration of the Jazz Plaza International Festival. I was thinking where to share the experiences I am enjoying, and with such good luck I remembered that there is this nice community, which is the ideal space for lovers of great events and festivities.
I always had to settle for watching this festival on TV, sitting in my living room at home. Those who already know me a little know that my city of birth is Camagüey, I can't stop saying it because of the pride I feel. But for some time I have been living in Havana, the capital of all Cubans, so this year it was my turn to enjoy it "live".

This month the 39th edition took place in the cities of Havana and Santiago de Cuba, from January 21 to 28. This is an annual event, and the opening concert was dedicated to the 50 years of artistic life of maestro Joaquín Betancourt, winner of the National Music Award, and also to the 15th anniversary of the Jazz Band.
This festival is a great musical celebration, since it brings together great jazzmen from Cuba and from all over the world: music is a universal language that we all understand and enjoy. Within the framework of the festival, countless activities take place: concerts in the most important theaters, colloquiums and conferences, as well as art exhibitions.

You can spend the day intoxicated with the smell of art that permeates every corner of the city. There are so many activities taking place simultaneously that it is inevitable not to miss many things, but the most important thing is to learn to enjoy what our senses can perceive.

I had the pleasure of participating in some sessions of the international colloquium "Leonardo Acosta in Memorian", this year dedicated to the piano in jazz and with the special participation of Colombia as guest country. It was held in Nave 3 of the Fábrica de Arte Cubano (FAC), but before telling you what I experienced, let me show you what a wonderful art exhibition was on display in that area.
Several of the works on display are by Daylín Céspedes, in a series called "Esperanza" (Hope). I found the photos very striking because they are a kind of vintage magazine but in very vivid colors.

"Tres por uno tres" is the name of the other series, which is a very unique tripersonal exhibition. Each author has his or her style, and you even manage to define who each work belongs to when you read the curation summary, but still everything fits together perfectly.

I was able to participate in a very interesting piano workshop given by Leonel Ruiz, one of the members of the Venezuelan trio Tostaíto. I liked his explanation about the emergence of jazz as a musical genre, I do not forget his phrase expressing that the natives of New Orleans have a typical way of walking: they walk at 3 steps resembling the basic beat of the rhythm.

My biggest surprise was to see the piano master Aaron Goldberg play, I had him as close as you can't imagine and as I never thought to have him. His master class was exactly that: masterful. He started by inviting several music students from the Amadeo Roldan Conservatory of Music to play a random piece, and then suggested ways to improve their artistic performance, even though the kids were truly talented.

He even explained that, despite the emergence of jazz in the United States, achieving the mastery of syncopation that comes so naturally to musicians from several Latin American countries is very difficult for them.

I was also close to other great Cuban pianists such as Rolando Luna and Alejandro Falcón. Enjoying a small part of this great festival has been an unforgettable experience, which I certainly wish to repeat in its 40th edition.