2023 Line-up
Ramon Valle Trio feat. Maite Hontelé
OCTOBER 20TH: 2 SHOWS
*UK exclusive*
Cuban pianist Ramón Valle is a seasoned veteran with the explosive energy of a racehorse straight out of the
gate. Ramón’s stage presence is commanding, whetever within the ranks of an orchestra or leading a trio. His performances and stage presence are charismatic, his music – intoxicating.
Valle’s "Levitando" (1993), is a well-known Cuban jazz anthem around the world. Valle has been featured on the stages of jazz festivals around the world including London, Havana, North Sea Jazz
Festival, Montreux and more. He has shared the stage with musicians as Roy Hargrove, Marcus Miller, Chucho Valdes among others.
Ramón Valle is an official Steinway Artist. He has recorded and internationally released 13 albums on a range of labels.
In May 2019 Ramón Valle received the honorary Cubadisco award for his outstanding work as an artist, composer and teacher. For his achievements as a composer with a repertoire that synthesizes
the tendencies of contemporary jazz, he is considered one of the best Cuban jazz pianists around the world.
Maite Hontelé is a Dutch trumpet player and cultural figure best known for her presence in the salsa and Latin music scene over the last decade or so; having toured and/or recorded with the greatest contemporary names of salsa, such as Oscar d'León, Rubén Blades and Yuri Buenaventura, Maite Hontelé has also released a string of successful albums under her own name, including the album Déjame Así which was nominated to a Latin Grammy in 2014. Maite Hontelé returns to the stages after a 4-year hiatus, and will be performing in the UK for the first time since her return to playing the trumpet.
AfroCuba:Jazz Sessions Vol. IV: Isobella Burnham
OCTOBER 21ST: TWO SHOWS
*Festival exclusive*
The AfroCuba:Jazz Sessions are a unique staple of the festival, now in their 4th volume. This night aims to provide a bridge between (Afro-)Latin musical traditions and the unique, evolving London jazz sound. The festival brings to you an exclusive collaboration directed by Grammy-award winning Cuban percussion virtuoso Hammadi Valdés (Chucho Valdés), where him and his team of world-renowned Afrocuban folklore percussionists share their musical tradition with, on this edition, UK-Bajan bassist, vocalist and composer Isobella Burnham and her quartet.
Isobella Burnham is one of the most sought-after, innovative creators of the London Jazz scene; her trademark sound brings together the rhythms of Barbados, St. Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago with a strong London foundation. At times contemplative and at times political, her radically honest lyrics and stage presence complement her tasteful, unique composition style. Also known for touring with Steam Down and Oscar Jerome, Isobella has established herself as one of the key members of the UK jazz scene. She will be performing material from her freshly released solo EP, Foam Under The Bridge, as well as her previous EP Dancin' Garuda and an array of original material – all re-arranged for her exclusive collaboration with Hammadi Valdés's trio. Expect raw, powerful vocals, sophisticated bass lines and lush harmonies fused with Afro-Cuban percussion at its finest.
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Eliane Correa & Yadira Ferrer present: Música Alternativa Cubana
OCTOBER 17TH
*Festival exclusive*
Eliane Correa and Yadira Ferrer are two powerhouses of Cuban music best known in the UK for their work together at the front of 12-piece Timba fusion orchestra La Evolución. For this year's edition of the festival, they have joined forces to create a definitive songbook of the music dubbed “música alternativa” in Havana over the last two decades, a mix of timba, jazz, funk, pop and traditional Cuban music. While the genre is alive and well in places like Madrid, Barcelona and Miami, this is a unique opportunity to hear this repertoire in the UK performed by a 7-piece of someof the UK's top Cuban musicians for who música alternativa has been a natural part of the last 20 years. The repertoire will include songs by the likes of Interactivo, Kelvis Ochoa, Habanabierta and Descemer Bueno as well as some original compositions by Yadira and Eliane interspersed in the mix.
Música Alternativa cubana is a genre that flourished around the turn of the millennium, as musicians from Nueva Trova (singer-songwriter genre with strong links to the literary and intellectual scene) and musicians from genres considered “alternative” in Cuba such as rock, jazz and pop began composing on the basis of Cuban musical features as a common ground. A genre without a name was born, eventually being dubbed “música alternativa” for its melting pot, all-ideas-welcome identity, becoming a movement over the 2000s to 2010s. Most of these musicians have emigrated from Cuba, but their music continues to be loved and supported by Cubans both on the island and around the world.
Yadira Ferrer is a Cuban Barcelona-based soprano, jazz and Cuban music vocalist and composer who has shared the stage with many of the música alternativa artists that this event pays homage to. Eliane, the festival curator, is a London-based Latinx pianist and composer whose projects Wara, En El Aire and La Evolución, as well as touring with Hans Zimmer and collaborating with an array of Cuban artists internationally, have earned her the status of one of the most established figures of Latin music in the UK.
This repertoire will only be performed at the London Latin Jazz Fest and is extremely unlikely to beheard anywhere else in the UK.
Alvorada feat. Elizabeth Fadel
OCTOBER 18TH
*Featuring exclusive guest Elizabeth Fadel on piano*
Award-winning Brazilian instrumental quintet Alvorada will be joined by pianist Elizabeth Fadel for a unique show at Pizza Express as part of London Latin Jazz Festival. The evening will provide
a panorama of lively and soulful choro tunes from throughout the ages: from late 19th century pianists Chiquinha Gonzaga and Ernesto Nazareth to the master composers of the 20th century
Pixinguinha and Jacob do Bandolim, plus compositions of Alvorada members and Fadel. Expect an evening of infectious Brazilian grooves and playful virtuosic interaction!
Alvorada's 2019 debut album First Light, featuring traditional choros and original compositions, was received with much critical acclaim (5* Songlines magazine), leading to BBC Radio 3
and Jazz FM appearances. Alvorada also won the LUKAS and Focus Brasil awards for ‘Best Brazilian Band’. Alvorada’s second album is on the way, a bold and rich work with intricate arrangements of
original compositions and Brazilian rhythms such as choro, samba, bossa nova and baião.
Elizabeth Fadel is a genre-defying pianist from Curitiba, Brazil. After studying classical piano, she went to The Netherlands to specialise in baroque harpsichord at the Royal Conservatory in
Hague. Fadel has always been passionate about music from her native Brazil, excelling in genres such as choro, samba, forro, and Brazilian jazz as well as tango, Latin music and rock. She has
toured and recorded extensively in Europe and Brazil with musicians such as Hamilton de Holanda, Yamandu Costa and Paulo Mora. Her latest album ‘Blue in Choro’ features her own choro and
Brazilian jazz compositions as well as choro-infused reworks of Bach classics.
Bonita House Band
OCTOBER 19TH
*Exclusive EP debut*
Bonita House Band brings to the festival an exclusive debut performance of their recently released and critically acclaimed EP, From Here, From There (Total Refreshment Centre, 2023). Bonita consists of an all-star line-up of the new generation of London jazz musicians, including the likes of Richie Sweet (Oscar Jerome, Incognito, Balimaya Project, Juanita Euka) and Keahnne Carlita (Raye, Silhouettes Project) playing a unique combination of latin jazz, cumbia, South American folklore and psychedelia. Their influences reach far and wide, as some of the musicians come from a Latin music background while others approach the material from an experimental jazz standpoint. Run and directed by Colombian percussionist and producer Santiago Morales (Silhouettes Project, Alma de la Selva) and Ecuadorian-British bassist Lennyn Sampedro (Desta French), their vision is to push the boundaries of Latin musical identity and create a space for a unique UK-Latin fusion that represents the new generations.
Latin jazz began as a musical conversation between Latin musicians and the buzzing jazz scene of the US; today the genre continues to evolve by listening to the world.
Asides from showcasing the best Latin Jazz from both the UK and beyond, the festival provides a space for unique collaborations by bringing together an array of world class artists for exclusively curated shows.
The London Latin Jazz Fest is a unique opportunity to witness a line-up of sensational Latin and Jazz musicianship in a globally minded setting.
Gerardo de Armas by Katarzyna Borek, 2019
Previous editions have included the likes of Ed Motta, Snowboy, Alex Wilson and Omar Puente.
Most shows sell out in advance so we advise that you get your tickets early.