SOL Y CANTO
The heart and soul of Sol y Canto's music is its rich vocal harmonies, sumptuous Spanish guitar and a combination of beautiful ballads and churning Latin rhythms, each performed with unparalleled depth and enthusiasm. Add wind, percussion and bass, and you have the ensemble's unique sound.
Sol y Canto® (sun and song) features Rosi Amador's crystalline voice and Brian Amador's lush Spanish guitar accompanied by outstanding Latin musicians from Cuba, Uruguay, Puerto Rico, Argentina and the U.S. Past winners of Boston Magazine's "Best of Boston" in Latin rhythms and Boston Music Awards for "Outstanding Latin Act", the group has established a national reputation for its unique brand of Afro-Latin and flamenco-influenced original as well as contemporary and traditional repertoire. Sol y Canto® has brought audiences to their feet from the Kennedy Center and White House to the California World Music Festival and Puerto Rico’s Conservatorio de Música and Museo de Arte.
Brian's guitar-playing shows how the nylon-string guitar, often abandoned in contemporary popular Latin music, has provided a backbone of harmony,
melody and percussive rhythms from the Flamenco styles brought by the Spanish settlers to the sones of theTrio Matamoros,
and how vibrantly relevant that instrument is to the music of today. Rosi's singing
has been described by the Boston Globe as "like clean spring water: it's smooth, it's
clear, and somehow, you come to believe that it's necessary for life." The band's
sound is completed by the prodigious talents of four young, but very experienced
musicians. Arturo Stable, Arturo Stable studied percussion at the Amadeo Roldan National
Conservatory in Havana, Cuba (1993). He later received a Certificate on
Music Pedagogy from UNIDES, Puebla,Mexico (1998). Arturo is currently
living in Boston, where he will shortly complete his second degree at
Berklee College of Music as a Contemporary Writing and Production major.
Arturo has been playing professionally for over 10 years, performing
from Cuban folk music, jazz, flamenco, to rock, among many genres. He
has performed with virtuoso flamenco guitarist Antonio Rayo " Rayito ",
OTI winer singer Magdalena Zarate, and pianist Arturo Stable (Senior).
Arturo's latest proyect is his Latin Jazz quartet, featuring
all-original music, debuting spring 2003 in Boston.
Carlos Del Pino,
the newest member of Sol y Canto, brings to the group his expert knowledge of a wide
variety of musical styles, a spirited stage presence and a winning smile.. Jon
Weeks, a native of New England, plays alto, tenor and soprano saxophones and
flute, blending a lively harmonic inventiveness with a deep respect for authenticity.
Nando Michelin, from Uruguay, plays keyboards and
collaborated with top musicians here and abroad as
composer and pianist.
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Between them, the musicians of Sol y Canto serve up a delicious and
constantly-changing musical feast, from tender ballads to driving dance tunes. In
addition to fresh interpretations of traditional songs, the group's repertoire includes
many excellent original compositions by group members and friends. This approach
has earned critical acclaim both for live performances and for their two Rounder
Records releases, SANCOCHO (1994), SENDERO DEL SOL (1996), and their Redwing Record release EN TODO MOMENTO(1999).
PERSONNEL
Brian Amador
Musical director, arrangements, acoustic guitar, vocals, percussion.
Of Mexican heritage, born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Brian was a
founding member, arranger and co-producer of two albums with Flor de Caña. In
1995 he received a highly competitive artist grant awarded to the state's "exceptional
artists" by the Massachusetts Cultural Council for music composition. He studied
classical guitar and improvisation at the New England Conservatory of Music in
Boston. In Madrid, Spain, he studied flamenco guitar. For five years, he was
principal guitarist for the Ramon de los Reyes Spanish Dance Theater. He has spent
the last ten years adapting his classical and Flamenco technique to different
Latin American musical styles, incorporating influences from Africa, and the French
and English speaking islands of the Caribbean.
Rosi Amador
Company Director, Lead vocals, bongó percussion.
Of Argentine and Puerto Rican heritage, Rosi was raised by performer parents, who
passed on to her their love of Latin American rhythms and musical styles. Her
mother was a dancer, singer and actress, appearing in the U.S. and Europe with Bob
Hope, Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin, among others, and in Mexico with comic
actor "Cantinflas" (Mario Moreno). Her father began in radio in Buenos Aires and
later became an actor, touring all over Latin America. With ten years of training as a
soprano, Rosi was one of award-winning Flor de Caña's founding members and manager for ten years. She has been deeply influenced by popular Latin music, jazz, North American folk, blues and contemporary African vocal styles.
Carlos del Pino
Bass player
Born in Camagüey, Cuba, Carlos studied music from an early age in Cuba at the “Escuela Nacional de Arte de la Habana” and later at the “Instituto Superior de Arte”. Upon his graduation, he continued studying with Professor Karol Kopriva from Chekoslovakia. He was a musician in “Opus 13” in Cuba, with performing credits including the North Sea Jazz Festival in Holland. He received the “Juan Sebastian Bach” medallion in Germany and an invitation by Prince Albert to work in Monaco. Back in Cuba, he worked with the “Orquesta de la Radio y Televisión” as well as the “Orquesta de Opera y Ballet de Cuba.” He also spent one year in Italy as part of the Jazz Orchestra of Palermo. In addition to Sol y Canto, he currently plays with several musical ensembles in the Boston area.
Arturo Stable
Congas, percussion, vocals
Arturo Stable studied percussion at the Amadeo Roldan National
Conservatory in Havana, Cuba (1993). He later received a Certificate on
Music Pedagogy from UNIDES, Puebla,Mexico (1998). Arturo is currently
living in Boston, where he will shortly complete his second degree at
Berklee College of Music as a Contemporary Writing and Production major.
Arturo has been playing professionally for over 10 years, performing
from Cuban folk music, jazz, flamenco, to rock, among many genres. He
has performed with virtuoso flamenco guitarist Antonio Rayo " Rayito ",
OTI winer singer Magdalena Zarate, and pianist Arturo Stable (Senior).
Arturo's latest proyect is his Latin Jazz quartet, featuring
all-original music, debuting spring 2003 in Boston.
Jon M. Weeks
Flute, alto, tenor and baritone saxophone, Andean quena, percussion.
A graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston, Jon has played and recorded Latin
music for the last 15 years with numerous bands in the Western-Massachusetts and
Hartford, CT area, including Orquesta Juventud, La Optima,Orquesta Exclusiva,
Orquesta Creaciùn,Orquesta Unidad, Ray González, Jimi (Sugar King) Pérez and
Quetzal. He currently performs with Quetzal, the O-Tones, is the leader of Northside
Sax Quartet and teaches woodwinds at music schools in Greenfield,
Northampton and Charlemont, MA.
Nando Michelin
After a very successful career in his homeland
Uruguay, Nando Michelin came to Boston to develop his
skills as piano player and composer at the Berklee
College of Music. Since his graduation in 1991, he has
recorded extensively here and in Uruguay with several
acclaimed artists such as singer Teresa Inez and jazz
trumpeter Tony D’Aveni, and his own band, comprising
Jerry Bergonzi, Fernando Huergo, Steve Langone and
Sula Da Silva. Nando also did the musical direction
for tango/jazz singer Katie Viquiera’s album "El Otro
Lado" (The Other Side), has recorded a series of
monthly performances with singer Giana Viscardi at the
Acton Jazz Café, and serves as pianist for the Felipe
Salles group. Other artists he has collaborated with
include MPB icons Jair Rodrigues, Flavio Venturini,
and Celso Adolfo. Currently he teaches at Berklee
College of Music, Brookline Music School, and Tufts
University.
Alan del Castillo,
quena, charango, ocarina, vocales, guitarra
The son of British and Spanish parents, Alan was raised in Puerto Rico. He has pursued a rich variety of musical disciplines parallel to his medical career. He has travelled often in Latin America, absorbing musical influences from throughout the Latin American continent. He first fell in love with South American music when he was studying medicine while living in England. There he met Chilean refugees who deeply influenced him. He performed classical music with the Univesity College Choir and Chorus of the Filarmonia Orchestra of London for 3 years. He also has recorded for the B.B.C. He then moved to Boston where he continued to play South American music with the trio Andanzas, recording and touring widely. A talented singer, Alan's soulful quena and ocarina playing is one of his fortes.
LINKS TO RELATED SITES
Visit the following site for more on Sol y Canto ensemble.
http://www.solycanto.com
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