OUT ON RARE SOLO TOUR IN NOVEMBER
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“...truly one of the greatest musicians in the world..." -Wynton Marsalis
“...there are few percussionists anywhere today who approach their art with the refinement, intelligence, tenderness and sophistication that Cyro Baptista does." -DRUM!
This November, master percussionist Cyro Baptista will summon ancient rhythms and melodies on a handful of special dates in the Midwest and West Coast with his latest project, Banquet of the Spirits (see JamBase's rave for the group's debut album here). Cyro Baptista will appear with “downtown" NYC jazz upstarts keyboardist Brian Marsella, bassist and oud player Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz and drummer Tim Keiper.
Since residing in the U.S. over the past three decades, Baptista has worked with such distinguished artists as Trey Anastasio, Paul Simon, Herbie Hancock, Sting, Yo-Yo Ma, Caetano Veloso, Laurie Anderson, Cassandra Wilson and many others. Baptista recently appeared alongside Simon at the “Under African Skies" series at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in April, where they performed songs from Graceland and Rhythm of the Saints.
Banquet of the Spirits pays tribute to the landmark work Don Cherry did with his innovative 1970's trio Codona featuring Colin Walcott and Nana Vasconcelos. Internationally recognized as a member of the Ornette Coleman Quartet, Cherry discovered ingenious connections between free jazz and music from the Middle East, Africa and India.
Baptista introduces the concept of “Anthropofagia Equals Cultural Cannibalism" into this mix, which reflects upon The Anthropophagite Manifesto written by Oswald de Andrade in 1928 and its formidable impact on 20th Century Brazil. Anthropo in Greek is 'human being,' and Phagy or Fagia in Greek means 'to eat.' Based on the ancient principles of cannibal tribes eating human beings as a way to gain the power of their spirits, Brazilian artists and intellectuals began assimilating and digesting elements of European culture and mixed it with their own native cultural identity. Brazil underwent an entirely unique transformation as they “ate up" international trends, progressive ideas and the evolving art and music scenes. Banquet of the Spirits is a musical manifestation of all the sounds Baptista has feasted on over his lifetime, immortalizing the fundamentals of Anthropofagia just as Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso and Os Mutantes did during the Tropiclia movement in the '60s.
For more on the wonderful musical mind of Cyro Baptista check out JamBase's 2003 interview with the man.
Tour Dates
Wednesday, November 5, Fontana Chamber Arts, Kalamazoo, MI
Thursday, November 6, The Concert Hall at Columbia College, Chicago, IL
Friday, November 7, Earshot Jazz Festival at Triple Door, Seattle, WA
Monday, November 10, Kuumbwa Jazz, Santa Cruz, CA
Tuesday, November 11, Yoshi's, Oakland, CA
