November 5-8, 2015 Puerto Plata, Sosua & Cabarete
The 19th Dominican Republic Jazz Festival will celebrate four nights of free concerts, Nov. 5-8, 2015, in the North Coast towns of Sosua, Puerto Plata and Cabarete. Presented by the Dominican Ministry of Tourism, the renowned cultural event enjoyed a combined estimated audience of 12,000 people for the 2014 festival.
Confirmed artists for the 2015 Dominican Republic Jazz Festival include David Sánchez, John Patitucci, Josean Jacobo, Pedrito Martinez Group, Roy Assaf Trio, Berklee Global Jazz Institute with Marco Pignataro, and Javier Vargas and The Big Band Conservatory of Santo Domingo.
David Sánchez is a Grammy-winning jazz tenor saxophonist from Puerto Rico. Sanchez joined Dizzy Gillespie’s United Nation Orchestra in 1990 and continued playing with him until Gillespie’s death in 1993. Sanchez has released seven albums with Columbia Records, winning the Grammy for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album in 2005.
John Patitucci is a Grammy-winning American jazz double bass and jazz fusion electric bass player. He has played with the likes of B.B. King, Chick Corea, Stan Getz, Wynton Marsalis and João Gilberto. His first solo recording, John Patitucci, was number one on the Billboard Jazz charts.
Pedro Pablo “Pedrito” Martinez from Havana, Cuba, is a Grammy nominated percussionist. He was a founding member of the highly successful, Afro-Cuban/Afro-Beat band, Yerba Buena, with which he recorded two albums and toured the world. Honors for Martinez include The Jazz Journalists Association “Percussionist of the Year”, 2014 and Modern Drummer Readers Poll #1 “Percussionist of the Year”, 2014.
Since its inception, the Dominican Republic Jazz Festival has presented internationally renowned Latin Grammy and Grammy Award winning musicians such as Ignacio Berroa, Joe Lovano, Chuck Mangione, Ray Baretto, Néstor Torres, Chucho Valdés, Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez and Arturo Sandoval among many other talents.
The Dominican Republic Jazz Festival provides more than culture and entertainment with its affiliation with FEDUJAZZ, a non-profit organization that conducts music education workshops for Dominican youth. Hundreds of schoolchildren from the North Coast of the Dominican Republic annually attend educational music workshops with renowned musicians from the jazz festival.
The Fedujazz music program held in Cabarete aims to educate Dominican children with structured music programs that enhance their overall education and learning, and increase their opportunities in life. Currently there are over one hunderd and thirty students being provided free music education and training in the new center in Cabarete, under the instruction of music professor from Santiago, Jefry Casimiro, with program oversight from Santy Rodriguez from Santo Domingo.
The 19th Dominican Republic Jazz Festival is presented by the Ministry of Tourism, and sponsors include Ron Macorix, JetBlue, the United States Embassy, Berklee Global Jazz Institute, Gratereaux Delva & Associates Law Firm, Sea Horse Ranch Luxury Resort, Ultravioleta Boutique Residences, Millennium Resort & Spa, Casa Linda, the Municipality of Sosúa, Cibao Recycling and Ban Reservas.
