Paquito D’Rivera, one of the world’s finest saxophonists and clarinetists, will perform in concert together with the prestigious Cuban pianist Pepe Rivero and vibraphonist Sebastián Laverde. The performance by the Paquito D’Rivera Trio will be an exquisite fusion of jazz, Cuban and Brazilian music, and bolero.
Paquito D’Rivera has received no fewer than 18 Grammy Awards for his work as the author of a large number of compositions, ranging from Afro-Cuban rhythms and melodies to musical influences gathered during his many travels around the world.
He is deeply passionate about both jazz and classical music, and has become one of the leading figures in Afro-Cuban music and modern Latin jazz standards. Alongside his close friend Chucho Valdés, Paquito was a founding member of the innovative musical group ‘Irakere’, a band that stood out for its explosive blend of jazz, rock, classical music and traditional Cuban music.
Paquito D’Rivera is a master of the clarinet, as well as the alto and soprano saxophone. With more than 70 years of musical career, he has received numerous awards for his importance in Latin jazz and as a classical music composer, including the prestigious Special Award from The Latin Recording Academy in recognition of his contribution to Latin music.
Cuban pianist Pepe Rivero is a prominent musician of the ‘New Generation’ of Cuban artists. He began his piano studies in Havana (Cuba), deeply rooted in the classical tradition, but his vocation led him to jazz. In his compositions he incorporates other genres into Latin jazz, such as flamenco, bossa nova and classic jazz itself, creating a wide range of atmospheres within a single piece.
Sebastián Laverde, a Colombian vibraphonist and percussionist residing in Spain, graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Throughout his professional career, Laverde has worked with major jazz and Latin music artists such as Víctor Mendoza, Andrés Cepeda, María Isabel Saavedra and Paquito D’Rivera, among others. He has been one of the musicians who made it possible for traditional Colombian music to be recorded for the first time at the iconic Abbey Road Studios in London. He is also a producer, composer and director of ‘Jazztone Studios’, based in Valencia and specialized in jazz projects.
