El Cal State LA Afro Latin Ensemble está dedicado al estudio, la práctica y la interpretación de la música afrolatina. En su relativamente corta existencia, el conjunto se ha establecido como uno de los conjuntos de música estudiantil más emocionantes de su tipo en la nación. Está abierto a estudiantes calificados de CSULA por audición.
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The Cal State LA Afro Latin EnsembleHa actuado con muchos artistas invitados de talla internacional, entre ellos Pablo Menéndez, Orestes Vilato, Frank Emilio Flynn, Edgardo Cambon, Gonzalo Chomat, Adonis Puentes y Fausto Cuevas entre muchos otros. En 2008, Cal State LA Afro Latin Ensemble comenzó un evento anual para destacar las contribuciones de los grandes músicos afrolatinos. En el concierto se presentó el famoso pianista de Salsa Larry Harlow en un concierto que incluyó una serie de artistas de Salsa. El concierto de gala de 2009 se presentó ante una multitud de más de 800 entusiastas fanáticos en el Centro Luckman el 21 de noviembre. El concierto contó con la aparición de Larry Harlow para la primera presentación en vivo de su famoso “Salsa Suite”. Entre los artistas destacados se encuentran el famoso percusionista Guillermo “Memo” Acevedo, la vocalista Iris Sandra Cepeda, el percusionista Joaquín Arteaga. Como resultado de los conciertos de Afro Latin Ensemble de 2008 y 2009 en honor a los entusiastas y simpatizantes de Larry Harlow, contribuyeron a establecer el Fondo Larry Harlow para el estudio de música afrolatina en la Universidad Estatal de California en Los Ángeles. El fondo apoya los programas de estudio de música latina en la Universidad Estatal de California en Los Ángeles.
El Afro Latin Ensemble ha sido invitado a actuar en Beijing China en agosto de 2010 en la Conferencia Mundial de la Sociedad Internacional para la Educación Musical. Bajo la dirección del Dr. Paul De Castro , el conjunto de Cal State LA Afro Latin brinda a los estudiantes graduados y no graduados la oportunidad de estudiar y tocar música de las ricas tradiciones de la música Salsa y Afro Latin.
Temas: Trombonatico; Ya No Hace Falta; Dos Palabras, Sobre Una Tumba, Una Rumba; Maria; Como Quedo Yo; Si me Comprendieras; Algo Anda Mal; Te Quedaras; Cadete Constituncional;
Musicos: Magnolia Cabada, Joseph Jauragui, Steven Pasillas, and Fátima Paz – vocales; Luis Caceres, Amanda Campos, Joshua Escutia y Damjan Krajicic – vientos; Mario Castro, Mike Espinoza, Jorge Garcia, Lawrence Merriweather y Richard Velzen – trompetas y trombones; Jorge Cabrera – guitarra; Allan Cate, David Czinner y Crystal Lee – piano; Vincenzo de la Rosa y Marvin Paez – bajo; Abel Canel, Marco Cortez, Rafael Gutierrez y Thomas Kelly – percusion; Paul De Castro – conduccion Invitados: José Arellano, Luis Bonilla, Iris Sandra Cepeda, Leider Chapotín, Gonzalo Chomat, Alex Henderson, Edgar Hernández, Lilly Hernández, Juan Karlos, Rachel López, Rigoberto López, Calixto Oviedo, Josiel Perez, Greg Samuel, Tony Shogren
Cal State LA Afro Latin Ensemble captivates with new Setenta album
Album features classics with new arrangements and original compositions
The renowned Cal State LA Afro Latin Ensemble has released its second album,Setenta, a vibrant compilation of beloved classics and new compositions that represent the past and future of the genre.
Under the guidance of band director Professor Paul De Castro, the Cal State LA Afro Latin Ensemble has produced a passionate, sophisticated work that revels in its cultural tradition. Breezy flutes and bright trumpets, nimble and intricate percussion work and a sultry modern take on Leonard Bernstein’s “Maria” are just a few of the delights this joyful album packs.
“The goals were very high. I didn’t accept second-rate anything,” De Castro said of the album. “We had the best arrangements, great guest stars, and I put the pressure on the students.”
Setenta, or Spanish for “Seventy,” was named to commemorate Cal State LA’s 70thanniversary and is the second release from Aerie Records, which was launched in 2014 by Cal State LA President William A. Covino and his wife, Debbie Covino.
“The roots of Cal State LA’s Afro Latin Ensemble reach deeply into Los Angeles, and Setenta’s rich connection to the cultural fabric of our region has culminated in a work that is timeless,” President Covino said.
The group began in 1999 as a Latin jazz ensemble, founded by students who sought the advice of De Castro, a Cal State LA alumnus and faculty member in the College of Arts and Letters.
As a well-respected scholar of Afro Latin music and a talented professional pianist, De Castro was an ideal faculty advisor for the fledgling Latin jazz ensemble. He incorporated traditional Caribbean rhythms, particularly those from Cuba, and invited vocalists to join the group.
Wearing signature guayabera shirts featuring the Cal State LA logo, the ensemble has enthralled audiences at venues such as the Autry Museum and Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles. In 2000, the 22-person ensemble performed in Cuba, and 10 years later, they played before an appreciative audience of 2,000 in China.
To create Setenta, De Castro relied on alumni and friends of the program. He points to one of his favorite tracks on the album, “Trombonático,” as an example of that collaboration. For the trombone section, De Castro relied on former students, including Luis Bonilla, one of the premiere trombone players in the world.
“Setenta is the fruit of a collaborative effort between students, faculty, alumni and guest musicians, the type of which could only take place at Cal State LA,” said the album’s executive producer, Jose A. Gomez, Cal State LA executive vice president.
The album also features the unmistakable vocal work of Grammy award-winning Cuban artist Iris Sandra Cepeda, the percussive expertise of timba specialist Calixto Oviedo, and the studied trombone stylings of Cuban musicology scholar Edgar Hernández, all of whom serve as part time faculty at Cal State LA.
“Our main goal,” De Castro says, “is to make people feel happy, to make people want to move and dance.”
Photo: The Setenta album features original artwork by Nery Orellana of Cal State LA. Video: Cal State LA Afro Latin Ensemble captivates with vibrant sound (https://vimeo.com/318859163).
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California State University, Los Angeles is the premier comprehensive public university in the heart of Los Angeles. Cal State LA is ranked number one in the United States for the upward mobility of its students. Cal State LA is dedicated to engagement, service, and the public good, offering nationally recognized programs in science, the arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education, and the humanities. Founded in 1947, the University serves more than 28,000 students and has more than 245,000 distinguished alumni.
Cal State LA is home to the critically-acclaimed Luckman Fine Arts Complex, Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs, Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center, Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility, Billie Jean King Sports Complex and the TV, Film and Media Center. For more information, visitwww.CalStateLA.edu.
