“Fiery, elegant, lyrical, and impossibly virtuosic”
March 31st, 2016
Doors: 7pm / Show: 8pm
Joaquín “El Pulpo” Pozo, congas
Carlos Mena, bass
Marcello Casagrandi, piano
Lisandro “Memo” Romero, timbales
Leo Tati, trumpet
DROM
85 Avenue A
(between 5th St & 6th St)
New York, NY, 10009
“Fiery, elegant, lyrical, and impossibly virtuosic” – such has been called master Cuban percussionist Joaquín Pozo’s style. Dubbed “El Pulpo” (The Octopus) because of his incredible facility with the congas, Pozo is known for his unique singular style, a melodic approach to drumming which is identified by its percussive inventiveness.
Cuban musician Federico “Tata Guines” Aristides Soto, the “King of Congas,” performs during the celebrations of the 80th birthday of Cuba’s leader Fidel Castro in Havana in this file picture taken August 12, 2006. Tata Guines, Cuba’s most famous percussionist who shared the stage with Josephine Baker, Frank Sinatra and jazz greats like Dizzy Giillespie and Miles Davis, died on February 4, 2008, in Havana. He was 77. Picture taken August 12, 2006. REUTERS/Stringer (CUBA)
Pozo is descended from a long line of revered Cuban musicians; and having grown up in Havana, Joaquín was very early indoctrinated in the rich musical tradition that bears witness to much of his family’s legacy. Joaquín Pozo’s father, Jorge Pozo Sayut, was very influential in the shaping of Joaquín’s sound. Jorge Pozo was a well-regarded percussionist, composer and musical director for Tata Güines, the revered Cuban artist who helped introduce the first era of Afro-Cuban jazz to the world.
Over the past 35 years, Joaquin has honed his traditional and popular chops mastering both folkloric forms like rumba and more modern forms like jazz, creating a style that melds both sacred and secular. As a band leader, Pozo has recorded Cuban rumba, salsa, and Afro-Latin jazz. As a sideman, he’s appeared with super popular and revered Latin groups Grupo Laye, Conjunto Chappottin and Grupo Niche. His discography spans decades and includes three offerings of his own. His recording, “A Ti, Papa” was a thoughtful and fiery tribute to his father, where Joaquín reinterpreted some of the beloved classics his father composed, many which have become standard classics in the modern Cuban repertoire.
Joaquín Pozo stands out both for the depth of his sound, which reverberates with traditional and modern echoes, but also for his unique vision of the congas (or tumbadoras as they are known in Cuba) as the melodic instrument in the band. Tight harmonies and complex, yet swinging melodies, mark Pozo’s compositional style. Whether he is taking a monumental solo (such as the ten-minute tour de force “Momentos,” from his album Descarga Cubana), or driving the band with athletic vigor in both traditional numbers and creative originals, Pozo demonstrates his broad musical vision with what could be coldly described as impeccable rigor, were it not for the playfulness and sheer joy that radiate from his performance. His current band configuration includes bass, piano, timbales and trumpet – a tight-knit group of gifted musicians all dedicated to propelling Joaquín Pozo’s unique sound forward.
