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KCLJAS 2017 Year in Review

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2017 was a BIG year for the KC Latin Jazz All-Stars! Our project has touched an estimated 20,000+ persons with 83 LIVE, AUTHENTIC Salsa and Latin Jazz events! We ushered 2017 in at the Vox Theater, trekked to Charlotte Street for Samba in the Snow in February, welcomed the one and only Jackie Zamora to the Blue Room for Women in Salsa & Latin Jazz in March, played and enjoyed the flavors of Comida KC at Union Station in April. In May we brought our montuno to The Gem for the Kansas City Jazz & Heritage Festival. June took us to Topeka for the Great Overland Station Havana Night Gala. In July we celebrated Pablo’s birthday by bringing salsa and Calle Vida to the people on West 39th Street at Prospero’s Bookstore… and also  The Big Picnic on the lawn of the Nelson-Atkins. We spent a few hot summer nights at The City Market for Wednesday Farmer’s Market music series. The fall months took us to Omaha and the Westport Art Fair in September, and back to Prospero’s in October for the moving, one night only event honoring Chilean Folk Artist Violeta Parra: “100 years of Violeta Parra: Cantos de amor y resistencia.” In November we visited our friends Mattie Rhodes, Central Avenue Betterment Association in KCK for Dias de los Muertos, and was able to bring Jackie Zamora back for Latina’s in STEM with the Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers! On December 28th we wrap up an amazing year at the Blue Room!

In between all these historic places and community events the KC Latin Jazz All-Stars have played for some of you in your living rooms, on your patios, at your weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and celebrated the life a young musician who died too soon. We spent some time in the recording studio, visited a couple college campuses, and worked with kiddos at the annual Show & Shed and Boys & Girls Club!

2017 was an incredible year…however…we have more planned in 2018–which marks the  FIFTEENTH ANNIVERSARY of the KC Latin Jazz All-Stars project!

With love and gratitude,

Pablo Sanhueza & KC Latin Jazz All-Stars

100 Years of Violeta Parra: Cantos de amor y resistencia.

/ mahcumba

Join Pablo on the evening of Saturday, October 21st at Prospero’s Bookstore, for a concert that will honor the life and work of Violeta Parra. Remembered as the “Mother of Latin American Folk” for pioneering the Nueva canción Chilena, a renewal of Chilean folk traditions that blossomed into a movement which celebrated the fight for social justice throughout Latin America.

Time: 7pm @ Prospero’s Books on 39th Street.

Program: Short Presentation on the life & works of Violeta Parra; followed by concert

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/100-years-of-violeta-parra-cantos-de-amor-y-resistencia-tickets-38461304798?aff=efbeventtix

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/298559590623496/permalink/302846233528165/

Organized by: Pablo Sanhueza in partnership with Polis: Cultural Planning.

Listen Local Featured Artist September 2017

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Thursday, Aug 31, 2017
Tagged As: jazz, latin
Pablo Sanhueza

Pablo Sanhueza is many things: bandleader, Latin jazz percussionist, musical scholar, master and student. The Chilean-born musician is perhaps best known for leading the KC Salsa & Latin Jazz All Stars ensemble, but his musical imprint does not stop there. He is a songwriter who has toured widely, sharing the stage with the likes of Poncho Sanchez, Titos Sompa, Dave Valentin and Bobby Watson. We are honored to share an interview with Sanhueza. Enjoy!

Introduce yourself. Where do you live and work?

My name is Pablo Sanhueza I’ve lived and worked as a musician in KC since 1996. In 1999, I moved to the west coast (Long Beach, California) to continue gathering musical and life experiences. In 2003, I returned to KC to organize the KC Salsa & Latin Jazz All-Stars, in partnership with the American Jazz Museum and also to attend the Jazz Studies program at UMKC.

Talk about your work with the Kansas City Salsa and Latin Jazz All-Stars. What was the nature of the collaboration with the American Jazz Museum?

The nature of our collaboration with AJM is mutual support, they provide us with dates at the Blue Room, GEM Theatre and many special events. In turn, my job as the bandleader is to provide a professional salsa & Latin jazz band with people from the culture in which this music stems from, and also to train local musicians in the inner-workings of Latin American music

How much original composing do you do for Makuza and KCSALJAS? What is that creative process like for you as bandleader?

To present original music is a priority in this band, we accomplish this goal by studying and performing classics, improvising, and writing original music based on these experiences. There is also a collaboration with the core band members who have made Latin music part of their musical vocabulary.

As a musician and a student of Latin American and Caribbean music, you have toured widely around the globe. What have been some of your most memorable touring experiences?

The most memorable touring experiences have been touring with Bobby Watson across the United States and Europe; and most recently my research trip studying Afro Latin American music and dances in South America during 2014 (Chile, Peru, Bolivia).

What have been some musical highlights for you from this past year? What are you looking forward to in 2017?

During 2016 we played for cultural celebrations at the Nelson Atkins Museum, Kemper Museum, North Kansas City Museum, Mattie Rhodes Gallery (Day of the Dead), City of Kansas City Parks & Recreation events, etc

During 2017 we plan on going back to play these events and also taking the band on a regional tour (Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado).

It is very exciting to be part of the Kansas City Jazz & Heritage Festival 2017 representing Latin American music and jazz, as well as to be part of the “Listen Local” feature.

Pablo Sanhueza’s recommendations from the Johnson County Library catalog:

Books:

Canto General (General Song) by Pablo Neruda.

The Republic by Plato.

Right now I am reading poets from my generation (Gen X)

I dig David Foster Wallace‘s “Fate,Time and Language” and “Infinite Jest”.

My favorite movies:

Werner Herzog‘s “Fitzcarraldo” and “Aguirre the Wrath of God”

Harmony Korine‘s “Gummo” 1997

Raul Ruiz is a chilean avant-garde cinematographer that I admire profoundly in is effort to research the deep chilean identity and culture:. “Nadie Dijo Nada” 1971.

Original write-featured here: https://www.jocolibrary.org/we-recommend/listen-local/pablo-sanhueza-0

Johnson County Library

Written by Bryan V.

Tuesday, August 29, 2017 – 2:36pm