CEREMONY NDR Bigband plays Omar Sosa Arranged by Jaques Morelenbaum
Ceremony is a major new project, the fruit of pianist-composer Omar Sosa’s first big-band collaboration with composer-arranger-cellist Jaques Morelenbaum, Hamburg’s 18–piece NDR Bigband (North German Radio / Norddeutscher Rundfunk), and the Omar Sosa Quartet, featuring Julio Barreto (drums, Cuba), Childo Tomas (electric bass, Mozambique), and Marcos Ilukán (Afro-Cuban percussion, Cuba). Sosa himself plays piano and marimba.
Recorded in two sessions (2007 and 2008) at NDR’s Hamburg studios, under the direction of Morelenbuam and Sosa, Ceremony features Morelenbaum’s brilliant arrangements of selections from Omar’s Spirit Of The Roots (1999), Bembón (2000), and Afreecanos (2009) CDs—together with two new Sosa offerings, “Llegada Con Elegba” (the introductory track) and “Salida Con Elegba” (the closing piece).
Rooted in the Quartet’s Afro-Cuban percussive traditions, Sosa’s finely textured compositions enable Morelenbaum to summon forth a broad palette of sounds, fully mobilizing the NDR Bigband’s sonic potential and its brilliant soloists, while leaving ample space for Sosa’s own luminous improvisations.
Ceremony takes something of the structure of a sacred batá ceremony, invoking a panoply of Yoruba deities, while also delving into the Cuban son, danzón, and cha-cha-cha. Reflecting Sosa’s own spiritual grounding, Ceremony opens in sacramental veneration of Elegba, the divine messenger and guardian spirit, the all-powerful medium and diviner of human fate. “Changó En Esmeraldas” is an extended tribute to the deity of thunder and lightning, fire and moral retribution, and a reflection upon Sosa’s musical sojourn in the Afro-Ecuadorian community of Esmeraldas. “Yemaya En Agua Larga” honors the great mother and goddess of the sea, the moon, creation, and female mystery. In keeping with Yoruba tradition, Ceremony exits with a final ritual salutation to Elegba.
Ceremony acknowledges the majesty of the legendary Afro-Cuban big bands of Frank “Machito” Grillo, Chico O’Farrill, and Dizzy Gillespie, while extending those revered traditions in a contemporary salute to the expansive universe of world jazz, wherein Sosa himself continues to reign as a joyous, generous, abundant, and essential creative spirit.
Ceremony grew out of a conversation with Hamburg producer Stefan Gerdes of NDR, who brokered the connection with Brazil’s Morelenbaum, who is much sought after as an arranger, reflecting his signal work with Antonio Carlos Jobim, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Cesária Evora, and Mariza, among many others.
The NDR Bigband is an ensemble of accomplished soloists whose talents have been highlighted through the work of such noted arrangers as Steve Gray, Colin Towns, and Michael Gibbs. Over the years, the NDR Bigband’s artistic collaborations have comprised a virtual “Who’s Who” of world jazz: including Chet Baker, Paquito D’Rivera, Pee Wee Ellis, Joe Gallardo, Lionel Hampton, Dave Holland, Abdullah Ibrahim, Pat Metheny, Joe Pass, Maria Schneider, Wayne Shorter, Oscar Brown, Jr., Al Jarreau, and Bobby McFerrin.
Ceremony will have its international debut at NDR in Hamburg on March 18–19, 2010.
Omar Sosa Winter-Spring 2010 Tour Schedule
January 15 & 16, 2010
GazArte
Athens, GREECE
www.gazarte.gr
January 24, 2010
Carib’n Jazz Festival
Olympia
Paris, FRANCE
www.myspace.com/caribinjazz
January 26, 2010
Le Cheval Blanc
Schiltigheim, FRANCE
www.ville-schiltigheim.fr
January 28, 2010
Caveau Jazz
Fort du Bruissin
Lyon (Francheville), FRANCE
www.mairie-francheville69.fr
January 29, 2010
Club Pannonica
Salle Paul Fort
Nantes, FRANCE
www.pannonica.com
January 30, 2010
Le Vauban
Brest, FRANCE
www.espacevauban.com
January 31, 2010
Aprem’Jazz
Theatre de Cornouaille
Quimper, FRANCE
www.theatre-cornouaille.fr
February 6, 2010
La Mamisele
Saubrigues (Biarritz), FRANCE
February 26, 2010
Festival Jazzellerault
Nouveau Theatre Accord
Chatellerault, FRANCE
www.festival-jazzellerault.com
February 28, 2010
Musica en la Villa
Teatro Fernan Gomez
Madrid, SPAIN
www.teatrofernangomez.com
March 5, 2010
Teatro Garibaldi
Santa Maria Capua Vetere (CE), ITALY
March 6, 2010
Teatro Comunale Giancarlo Siani
Marano di Napoli, ITALY
March 18 & 19, 2010
“Ceremony” CD Release Celebration
Omar Sosa-NDR Bigband
NDR Studios
Hamburg, GERMANY
www.ndr.de
March 21, 2010
Teatro Donizetti
Bergamo, ITALY
www.gaetano-donizetti.com
April 10, 2010
South Florida Jazz Presents
Rose & Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.A.
www.southfloridajazz.org
April 14, 2010
Mount Vernon Country Club
Golden (Denver), Colorado, U.S.A.
www.mountvernoncc.com
April 15, 2010
Outpost Performance Space
Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A.
www.outpostspace.org
April 16, 17, & 18, 2010
Yoshi’s Oakland
Oakland, California, U.S.A.
www.yoshis.com
April 21, 2010
Tri-C JazzFest
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A.
www.tricjazzfest.com
April 23, 2010
Detroit Institute of Arts
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.
www.dia.org
For concert details, please visit www.melodia.com
Omar Sosa GRAMMY Nomination
We are pleased to announce that Omar’s recent CD, “Across The Divide”, on Half Note Records, has received a GRAMMY nomination in the Best Contemporary World Music Album category.
The other nominees in the category are Amadou & Mariam (“Welcome To Mali”), Béla Fleck (“Throw Down Your Heart”), Femi Kuti (“Day By Day”), and Oumou Sangare (“Seya”).
Winners will be announced at the next GRAMMY Awards event at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on January 31, 2010.
For more information, please email music@melodia.com or call 510-339-3389 in California.
