Omar Sosa Musician/Band

Composer-pianist-bandleader Omar Sosa is one of the most versatile jazz artists on the scene today. His musical trajectory traces the Diaspora from Cuba to Africa and Brazil; from Central America to Ecuadors African-descent communities; from San Francisco and New York to his current home base in Barcelona. True to his Afro-Cuban origins, Sosa fashions a spirited vision of uncompromising artistic generosity that embraces humanity at large. Nominated for seven GRAMMY awards and twice for the BBC World Music Awards, Mr. Sosa received a lifetime achievement award from the Smithsonian Associates in Washington, DC in 2003 for his contribution to the development of Latin jazz in the United States.Omar Sosa is touring in celebration of the release of a new documentary entitled Omar Sosas 88 Well-Tuned Drums and an accompanying soundtrack LP of the same name. The documentary captures much of Sosas oeuvre as a composer, bandleader, and recording artist and highlights the rich tapestry of his styles and cultural influences, from solo piano to big band, from Mother Africa to Cuba and the descent communities of the Diaspora, and from jazz and an array of folkloric traditions to Western classical music. The soundtrack vinyl features music from eight Omar Sosa albums, including three GRAMMY-nominated titles Sentir (2002), Eggun (2009), and Across the Divide (2013). For fans and newcomers alike, the film and vinyl are a great way to enjoy Omars music and better appreciate the artist and his creative process. For his show at Catalinas, Omar brings drummer Josh Jones, who played extensively with Sosa during his formative years in the San Francisco Bay Area (late 1990s and early 2000s) and multi-reed master Sheldon Brown who is featured on several early Omar Sosa albums and on the track Para Ella from the soundtrack. Completing Quarteto Americanos is the dynamic Cuban bassist Ernesto Mazar Kindeln. Like the artist, the bands repertoire is eclectic and energizing. Its improvisational approach seamlessly fuses elements of Jazz, Latin, Afro-Cuban and World Music into a passionate, contemporary sound.