Caramoor presents "Sonidos Latinos": Tiempo Libre and Paquito D'Rivera

June 18, 2010 - PRLog -- Katonah, New York – On the heels of their Caramoor debut last summer, two-time Grammy®-nominated timba band Tiempo Libre returns to the Festival for a high-voltage performance with fellow Cuban musician Paquito D'Rivera on Sunday, June 27 at 4:30pm. The event marks the fourth year of Caramoor's acclaimed Sonidos Latinos Latin American music initiative. Audiences of all ages can enjoy the Latin jazz and hard-driving Cuban rhythms of this festive concert in the Venetian Theater, or from the picnic grounds as the first Caramoor Al Fresco event of the summer.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Tiempo Libre is one the hottest young Latin bands today. Equally at home in concert halls, clubs, and dance venues, the members of the Miami-based group are true modern heirs to the rich tradition of the music of their native Cuba. Tiempo Libre's members were all classically trained in Cuba's premiere conservatories at a time when it was illegal to listen to American songs on the radio. Now, the group is a hit in the U.S. and abroad, celebrated for its incendiary, joyful performances of timba – an irresistible mix of Latin jazz and the seductive rhythms of son, a style of music that became popular in Cuba in the 1920s. Tiempo Libre's members were all enjoying thriving solo careers in Latin music collaborating with such artists as Albita, Cachao, Arturo Sandoval, NG La Banda, Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Isaac Delgado, when the seven musicians came together to realize their collective musical dream: to create the first authentic all-Cuban timba band in the U.S. Their eagerness to share their music with others led these multi-talented individuals to come together between projects to develop their new style together, hence the name Tiempo Libre ("Free Time").

Paquito D'Rivera is a nine time Grammy Award-winning musician celebrated both for his artistry in Latin jazz and his achievements as a classical composer. A native of Havana, Cuba, he played both clarinet and saxophone with the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba in his youth. He was also a founding member and director of both the Orquesta Cubana de Música Moderna, and the innovative musical ensemble Irakere – which performs a mixture of jazz, rock, classical, and traditional Cuban music never before heard. D’Rivera was a founding member of the United Nations Orchestra, a 15-piece ensemble organized by Dizzy Gillespie to showcase the fusion of Latin and Caribbean influences with jazz.

D'Rivera's highly acclaimed ensembles – the Chamber Jazz Ensemble, the Paquito D'Rivera Big Band, and the Paquito D’Rivera Quintet – are in great demand worldwide. His numerous recordings include more than 30 solo albums. In addition to his extraordinary performing career as an instrumentalist, D'Rivera has rapidly gained a reputation as an accomplished composer. Recognition of his compositional skills came with the award of a 2007 John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship in Music Composition, a Lifetime Achievement Award from Carnegie Hall for his contributions to Latin music, and the 2007/08 appointment as Caramoor's Composer-in-Residence.

SONIDOS LATINOS

Sonidos Latinos Caramoor's adventurous Latin American music initiative, was established in 2007. The continuing goal of the initiative is to bring Latin American music, often under-represented in classical music venues, to a position of importance commensurate with the growing prominence and influence of Latin American culture in our society.

The 2010 Sonidos Latinos series continues within Caramoor's three-day Jazz Festival in August. On August 7, the Brazilian musician Clarice Assad's versatility and sophistication as a pianist, vocalist, and composer ensures a deeply musical experience. On August 8, Cuban pianist Elio Villafranca returns to Caramoor with his Quintet and guitarist Pat Martino, and Chuchito Valdes returns with his Big Band to perform the music of his grandfather Bebo Valdes – a central figure in the Golden Age of Cuban music.

TICKETS
Tickets for Tiempo Libre are $15, $20, $30, and $45 and include seating in the Venetian Theater. Caramoor Al Fresco tickets are $10 for audiences who opt to hear the concert from the picnic lawns at Caramoor. Tickets may be purchased at the Caramoor Box Office, 914.232.1252 or ordered online at http://www.caramoor.org. Groups of 16 or more may purchase discounted tickets by contacting Matthew Scarella at 914.232.5035 ext. 252 or matthew@caramoor.org

PRESS TICKETS
For press tickets, images, or interviews, please contact Whitney Holden: 917.339.7188, wholden@cohndutcher.com

ABOUT CARAMOOR

Caramoor is the legacy of Walter and Lucie Rosen, who built their summer home – now known as the historic Rosen House at Caramoor – and filled it with their treasures. Walter Rosen was the master planner for the Caramoor estate, bringing to reality his dream of creating a place to entertain friends from around the world. Their musical evenings were the seeds of today's Caramoor International Music Festival. Realizing the pleasure their friends took in the beauty of Caramoor – the house with its art collection, the gardens, and the musical programs on summer evenings - in 1946 the Rosens established a public charity to open Caramoor to the community. Lucie Rosen survived her husband by seventeen years. During those years, she expanded the Music Festival: the Spanish Courtyard was used as a setting for musical events, as it is today, and, under her direction, the great stage of the Venetian Theater was built.

Caramoor is a performing arts center located on a unique 90-acre setting of Italianate architecture and gardens in Westchester County, NY. It enriches the lives of its audiences through innovative and diverse musical performances of the highest quality.  Its mission also includes mentoring young professional musicians and providing educational programs for young children centered around music.  It is often described as "a Garden of Great Music" where audiences are invited to come early, explore the beautiful grounds, enjoy a pre-concert picnic, and discover beautiful music in the relaxed settings of the Venetian Theater, Spanish Courtyard, Music Room of the Rosen House, and the magnificent gardens.

With its unique heritage, Caramoor remains a place where magical summer days and nights are shared and enjoyed by thousands. "Caramoor is the loveliest Festival of them all." - The New York Times

Enjoy a Picnic at Caramoor
Extend the experience by arriving early and enjoying a picnic amidst the beautiful gardens. Purchase a picnic (or bring your own) by calling Great Performances® at 212-337-6055 or visiting http://www.greatperformances.com/caramoorpicnics

GETTING TO CARAMOOR
By car from the West Side of Manhattan and New Jersey, take the Saw Mill River Parkway north to Katonah. Exit at Route 35/Cross River. Turn right and, at the first traffic light, make a right turn onto Route 22 south. Travel 1.9 miles to the junction of Girdle Ridge Road. Follow the signs to Caramoor. (For detailed directions call 914.232.5035 and press 2, or online at http://www.caramoor.org). Parking at Caramoor is free.

By train, take the Harlem Division of the Metro-North Railroad to Katonah, New York. Taxi service from the station to Caramoor (5 minutes away) is available.

Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts is located at 149 Girdle Ridge Road, Katonah, New York.

PROGRAM
Sonidos Latinos: Tiempo Libre with Paquito D'Rivera
Sunday, June 27, 2010 at 4:30 pm in the Venetian Theater

Tiempo Libre:
Jorge Gomez, piano and Musical Director
Joaquin (El Kid) Diaz, lead vocals
Raúl Rodríguez, trumpet
Luis Beltran Castillo, saxophone and flute
Tebelio (Tony) Fonte, bass
Leandro Gonzalez, congas
Armando (Pututi) Arce, drums

Paquito D'Rivera, clarinet and saxophone

Program to be announced from the stage

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With its outstanding summer music festival & indoors concerts, arts-in-education programming and beautiful grounds, Caramoor is a cornerstone of the cultural life of Westchester County, NY.