Unesco Artist for Peace, Cultural Ambassador of Panama, 2021 Doris Duke Artist Award recipient, and Artistic Director of the Panama Jazz Festival, Danilo Perez returns with recharged force to continue demonstrating the teamwork that is imperative for the social change in Panama and the rest of the world.
"The Festival is a cultural project that over 18 years has managed to consolidate creativity, exchange, and talent, with a strong commitment to education and social welfare in Panama. It is the largest cultural event in the region, which has had the participation of thousands of artists and public from all over the world, adding more than 300 thousand attendees in its 18 past editions,” says Danilo Pérez.
The Panama Jazz Festival, now in its nineteenth year, will pay tribute to Panamanian pianist Frank Anderson. Born on January 24, 1929, in Bocas del Toro, Anderson grew up with a solid music education and began to play with many established musicians in Panama. In September of 1948, he made the move to New York where he built a distinguished career performing with some of the best Latin musicians of our times including Marcelino Guerra, Israel “Cachao” López, and Arsenio Rodríguez. He also performed with jazz master Clark Terry, created his own Caribbean Big Band, and recorded with Lena Horne, Mahalia Jackson, Harry Belafonte, Chico O'Farrill, Hubert Laws, Woody Shaw, Kenny Burrell, among many others.
A cornerstone of the Panama Jazz Festival is to honor the legacy of jazz music in Panama. This festival’s edition will celebrate the concept of “Playing the Route”, which highlights the historical connection of our Isthmus with popular American music. This relationship is seen from the construction of the Transoceanic Railroad in 1850, to the development of the Banana industry in the late 1800s, and the construction of the Panama Canal in 1903. All of which allowed for Panama to be linked to the main jazz foci, New York and New Orleans, making our isthmus a protagonist and an essential part of jazz history.This year features an abundance of renowned artists: Kurt Elling (United States); Borderlands Trio, featuring Canadian Pianist and Composer Kris Davis with Eric McPherson and Stephan Crump; Renowned Alto Saxophonist Antonio Hart (United States); Danilo Perez’s Global Messengers; PZ-533 Global Jazz Womex; among others. From Panama, the talent of great legends to new generations, such as the Panamanian star Solinka, the much-loved Lady of Jazz Idania Dowman, Mayra Hurley and Panama Connections.
A week of enriching clinics and concerts will kick off with the great gala night held at the National Theater. Concurrently, the 10th Latin American Music Therapy Symposium will bring together music therapists from Panama, Chile, the United States, and beyond. The Panama Jazz Festival is also pleased to welcome participating schools: Berklee College of Music through the Berklee Global Jazz Institute, The New England Conservatory, and New York Jazz Academy.
The nineteenth Panama Jazz Festival will have the Ciudad del Saber as its educational venue, and the official hotel is the Wyndham Panama Albrook Mall Hotel & Convention Center. All activities will ensure compliance with all biosecurity measures, including the mandatory use of masks and social distancing between seats, according to the Ministry of Health (MINSA) provisions.
The festival is produced by Panama Jazz Productions to benefit the social programs of the Danilo Pérez Foundation with the help of the Presidency of Panama, Panama's Ministry of Culture, Panama City Mayor Office, City of Knowledge, Copa Airlines, Alamo Rent a Car, Cable and Wireless, and many others.
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