Cuba and all that jazz

Although steeped in Latin music Villafranca also got plenty of training in the classical sphere, and today he marries the music of Cuba with the rich and wide ranging textures and sounds.

By BARRY DAVIS
CUBAN JAZZ pianist Elio Villafranca. (photo credit: REBECCA MEEK)
CUBAN JAZZ pianist Elio Villafranca.
(photo credit: REBECCA MEEK)
Tel Aviv will get several touches of Cuba later today when jazz pianist Elio Villafranca does his thing at Bet Hayotzer in Tel Aviv Port. Students and fans of the Latin side of the jazz tracks should be able to get a better handle on the art form when Villafranca presents a master class at 3 p.m.
The New York-based musician-composer-bandleader will perform material from his burgeoning discography, the latest offering of which, Dos Y Mas, came out in 2012 and incorporates numerous musical genres from the pianist’s island motherland. On Dos Y Mas Villafranca joins forces with percussionist Arturo Stable, and both display a penchant for eclectic rhythms and styles.
Although steeped in Latin music Villafranca also got plenty of training in the classical sphere, and today he marries the indigenous music of Cuba with the rich and wide ranging textures and sounds of Spain, Africa and the Middle East.
Villafranca, whose keyboard wizardry and composing skills have brought him a slew of awards across the world, has been chosen as a Steinway Jazz Artist and was a Grammy nominee in 2010.
For more information about the master class and concert: http://bama.acum.org.il.