When Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz
Orchestra travelled to Havana, Cuba in December 2014 to record Cuba: The
Conversation Continues, something nearly
miraculous happened: President Obama unexpectedly announced the restoration of
full diplomatic relations with Cuba, and plans for the opening of an embassy in
Havana for the first time in more than a half-century. It was time, the
President proclaimed, to reignite the conversation between the two long-estranged
nations.
Just as Duke
Ellington and Louis Armstrong trumpeted liberty abroad during the Cold War,
Arturo O’Farrill’s efforts are a symbol of the new political current. O’Farrill
is a modern day “jazz ambassador,” who fought for political normalization
between the United States and Cuba through cultural diplomacy long before
Obama’s announcement. As the founder and artistic director of the non-profit
The Afro Latin Jazz Alliance, O’Farrill has been on the ground in Cuba
repairing the rupture by promoting a cultural conversation despite political
disengagement. O’Farrill and members of the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (the
resident ensemble of the Alliance) have been traveling between New York City
and Cuba for over a decade.
Though he is
a frequent Cuba traveler, the announcement was still a surprise: “It was an
emotional experience for me, a day that I had hoped would come for years,” says
Arturo O’Farrill. He was in Cuba performing with his 18-piece Afro Latin Jazz
Orchestra at the Havana International Jazz Festival at the time of Obama’s
announcement. In fact, the night before the historic news (Dec. 16), Arturo and
his orchestra, alongside several Cuban musicians featured on Cuba: The
Conversation Continues, performed at the residency of the U.S. Chief of Mission
in Havana.
An
auspicious moment in the celebrated pianist’s 30-year career, the recording
Cuba: The Conversation Continues is a profound statement that’s a touchstone of
diplomatic engagement and cultural healing. For this full-length studio album,
O’Farrill enlisted four of today’s premier Cuban composers and six world-class
American composers/arrangers, including Bobby Carcassés, Alexis Bosch, Cotó,
Michel Herrera, Dafnis Prieto, Michele Rosewoman, Earl McIntyre, Gregg August,
Arturo himself and his son, Zack O’Farrill.
Executing
such an ambitious project was no easy task. O’Farrill and Executive Producer
Kabir Sehgal led a delegation of 58 people to make the recording: 24 musicians,
21 producers, 6 staff, 5 videographers, and 2 photographers traveled to Cuba,
permitted by the U.S. Treasury Department. All told, 75 people contributed to
making this studio album a reality, including the efforts of co-producers
Julian Weller and Eric Oberstein. Recorded at Abdala Studios in Havana, Cuba:
The Conversation Continues offers a compelling, forward-looking aesthetic – one
based on dialogue and cross-cultural collaboration. With the news of political
normalization, the musicians grasped the potential significance of the album –
to create a cultural compass to guide future dialogue between the two
countries. “There was a sizzle in the studio, and the resulting emotional rush
made it onto the album,” says Sehgal.
For
O’Farrill, Obama’s announcement had deep, personal significance. His father,
the late Latin music legend Chico O’Farrill, was born in Cuba, but was unable
to return to the island after the Revolution and he subsequently settled in the
U.S. He died in New York in 2001, never seeing his homeland again due to Cold
War travel restrictions. Arturo O’Farrill’s longstanding devotion to bringing
Cuba and the U.S. closer together through the power of music has garnered
utmost praise from The Recording Academy. Twice, in 2009 with Song for Chico
and again earlier this year for The Offense of the Drum, his efforts have
resulted in winning GRAMMY® Awards in the “Best Latin Jazz Album” category.
Musically,
the roots of Cuba: The Conversation Continues stretch back to the
collaborations between the American jazz icon Dizzy Gillespie and the Cuban
conga virtuoso and composer Chano Pozo. Many jazz historians cite their
momentous 1947 meeting and later collaborations as the birth of modern Latin
jazz. Now, nearly seven decades later, O’Farrill and a cast of celebrated
composers are resuming the conversation between Gillespie and Pozo, bringing it
into the present at a pivotal time in U.S. and Cuban history.
“The Chano
Pozo-Dizzy Gillespie conversation led to a realization that they had much in
common. Both their music originates from Africa.”
Unfortunately,
that conversation was interrupted by the diplomatic falling out. “But now we
can resume and update their conversation,” notes O’Farrill. “This conversation
is at the heart of our album.”
Cuba: The
Conversation Continues gives new meaning to the ancient truth about music being
a universal language. Gillespie himself spoke of a time when there would be
neither “jazz” nor “Afro Cuban” but “universal music.” Arturo fulfills Dizzy’s
prophecy of creating such a music, breaking down cultural walls. It turns out
that musical borders are man-made, just like geographic and political ones.
Featured
Compositions – Cuba: The Conversation Continues
On Cuba: The
Conversation Continues, O’Farrill ultimately answers the question, “What would
the music have sounded like if Pozo and Gillespie (and we) kept talking with
each other?” Judging from the resulting compositions, it would have sounded
very diverse, very adventurous, and yet reverent to tradition. The double disc
set boasts several standout compositions, including O’Farrill’s masterful
four-movement “The Afro Latin Jazz Suite,” a bold reimagining of Chico
O’Farrill’s 65 year-old gem, “The Afro Cuban Jazz Suite.” Commissioned by
Harlem’s famed Apollo Theater for its own 80th anniversary celebration in May
2014, “The Afro Latin Jazz Suite” is propelled by the extraordinarily soulful
virtuosity of alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa.
O’Farrill
notes of the track, “Rudresh is a voice that’s changing jazz, and it’s a voice
that many jazz students in Cuba aren’t familiar with. He’s broadening the scope
of this music. The jaws of these young musicians drop when they see him play.
‘The Afro Latin Jazz Suite’ is rooted firmly in the work and the vision that my
father created.”
Envisioning
the future, O’Farrill’s “Vaca Frita” features turntablist DJ Logic, the
brilliant saxophonist David DeJesus, and Adam and Zack O’Farrill. For Arturo,
the opportunity to work with the next generation of O’Farrills on such a momentous
occasion was particularly rewarding.
“Watching my
sons interact with their Cuban counterparts was one of the motivations for this
album,” Arturo says. “There was such a tremendous respect and love for each
other. When I saw them reach across borders, I said, ‘There’s a lesson here for
every human, especially for the politicians who have divided our two nations.’”
“El Bombón”
is another standout, written by Cotó (Juan de la Cruz Antomarchi). The work is
a changüí that deals with a very specific feel and rhythm from Guantánamo.
“Second Line Soca (Brudda Singh),” by Earl McIntyre features vocals from Reneé
Manning and draws a direct line from Cuba to New Orleans. The cultural exchange
between one of America’s most unique cities and the Caribbean island nation 90
miles south of our border goes back centuries.
“The roots
of jazz are intertwined between Havana and New Orleans. For 50 years we have
been denied an essential nutrient in the development of jazz.”
Finally,
Cuba: The Conversation Continues leaves off with “There’s a Statue of José
Martí in Central Park,” an epic 13-minute piece written and conducted by Zack
O’Farrill in honor of the great Cuban national hero, and again featuring
Rudresh Mahanthappa, along with Arturo on piano and Ivan Renta on soprano sax.
With shades of free jazz, this song hints at what the future of Dizzy’s
“universal music” might sound like.
Even though
there’s been significant political progress in the seven months since the
announcement, Arturo urges Americans to act:
“Call your
congressman,” says Arturo. “Tell them to lift the embargo. It hasn’t worked
during the last 50 years. We need a different approach. This album shows what
normalization sounds like: there may be tension and discordance at times, but
we still find harmony and resolution. It’s time for the politicians to catch up
with the musicians.”
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