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SATURDAY ENCORE: JUNE 18, 11AM PT
In his new project, Con Tumbao, Cuban singer and songwriter Isaac Delgado brings together an extraordinary band playing a repertory that speaks a familiar language in many accents.
The ensemble features Oscar Hernández, piano; Alain Pérez, bass and vocals; Robby Ameen, drums; Pedrito Martínez, congas and percussion; Tony Succar, timbal; Bob Franceschini, saxophone; Mike Rodríguez, and Juan Munguía, trumpet; and Conrad Herwig, trombone.
It's a diverse group with multiple Grammy winners, first-call sidemen, bandleaders, and a MacArthur grant genius. Individually and as a group, their work crisscrosses and connects a universe of traditional and contemporary Latin styles. The goal with Con Tumbao is "to create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts."
Issac speaks excitedly about the experiences of Alain Pérez, a frequent collaborator, in flamenco, playing with the late, great Paco de Lucia, and notes the work of trombonist Conrad Herwig with major big bands but also Eddie Palmieri. He calls Pedrito Martinez "a monster, the complete percussionist. He can play all the genres in Afro Cuban music from rumba to religious music," and talks about Peruvian-born percussionist and arranger Tony Succar, and his knowledge of Peruvian folklore. "Most people don't know the richness of Afro-Peruvian music," says Delgado. "They will be surprised."
Delgado rose to fame in Cuba the late 1980s as the singer and front man of NG la Banda, a pioneering timba group. He stayed with the group three years and during that time, he gave a voice to three of the band’s most popular albums. Still, he developed an international following beginning in the mid-90s, earning several Grammy and Latin Grammy nominations. After recording several albums under his own name, including collaborations with pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba and arranger Adalberto Alvarez, he focused on an international career, touring in Europe and performing in New York, including a star-studded show at Madison Square Garden with Celia Cruz. There were also memorable performances at the Guerra de la Salsa festival in Peru; the Luis Muñoz Marin Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Central Park Summerstage in New York City; the Wolf Trap Jazz and Blues in Washington, D.C.; and the International Jazz Festival in Montreal.