Grammy nominee, Mexican singer, Magos Herrera, teamed up with three of the best jazz musicians from Brazil, ‘Trio Afora’ to mesmerize Delhi audiences last evening, at a concert in Kamani Auditorium.
Jazz lovers in Delhi received an irresistible treat on Tuesday evening, with celebrated Mexican singer Magos Herrera, and Brazilian group Trio Afora, performing to a packed Kamani Auditorium, at a jazz concert presented by the International Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), in collaboration with the Embassies of Mexico and Brazil in India, and supported by the Global Music Institute, Greater Noida.
Regarded as one of the most expressive, beautiful voices and most active vocalist in the contemporary Latin American jazz scene, Mexican singer-songwriter, Magos Herrera, and Trio Afora, a collective group featuring three of the most talented Brazilian musicians, Fabio Gouvea, Felipe Brisola and Alex Kautz, cast a spell on the city’s music lovers with Mexican and Brazilian classics, as well as soon-to-be released music compositions.
The traditional welcome lamp was lit by Mrs. Riva Ganguly Das, Director General, ICCR, H.E. Melba Pría, Ambassador of Mexico to India and H.E. Tovar da Silva Nunes, Ambassador of Brazil to India.
By mixing different musical styles with their own, Trio Afora opened the concert with original compositions from their albums, and soon invited Magos Herrera to spin her musical magic.
Magos Herrera performed Niña (Girl), a poem by former Mexican Ambassador to India, Nobel laureate Octavio Paz, musicalized by Magos and Felipe Perez Santiago. “I love India, and Octavio Paz loved India”, Magos said, dedicating this song to renowned Indian photographer Raghu Rai, whose photograph of a Mexican landscape formed the backdrop of her performance.
“We need more women in music,” Magos commented, as she invited Belarusian musician, Katerina L'Dokova to share stage for their rendition of a romantic love song, “Tu y yo” (You and I), an adapted fragment of Ruben Dario’s poem musicalized by Magos and Fabio Gouvea.
Magos dedicated a Mexican folk song, La llorona (The Weeping Woman) to Ambassador Melba Pria, calling her, “the coolest Ambassador ever”. Thanking both the ambassadors of Mexico and Brazil for this collaborative musical initiative Magos highlighted, “that through arts we can start conversations”.
All these musicians are in India to take music workshops as summer faculty at the Global Music Institute, till the end of July.
The well-attended jazz concert included guests and dignitaries from the diplomatic community, Amb. Manju Seth, former Indian Ambassador to Madagascar, Mr. Carlos Varona, Director, Instituto Cervantes, veteran film producer Mr. Suresh Jindal, painter and sculptor Mr. Jatin Das, and photographer Mr. Raghu Rai.
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Download high resolution photographs here: https://we.tl/C9kF2TjWBJ | All photographs courtesy of Embassy of Mexico and Faiyaz Ali
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About the musicians
Born in Mexico City and currently based out of New York City, Magos Herrera is a dazzling jazz singer-songwriter, producer and educator with a 20-year career. In a first of its kind award presented to a female artist, Magos received the Berklee College of Music’s Master of Latin Music Award in May 2015 for her contributions to developing and showcasing Latin American music, as well as her own, in a contemporary context around the world. She currently serves as spokesperson for UN Women, and has taken an active role in the UNiTE campaign to end violence against women and “He for She” to promote gender equality. Recently, Magos Herrera was a participant in a Forbes Forum celebrating Mexico’s outstanding professional women, Foro Forbes 2016 de Mujeres Destacadas de México, along with 40 of the country’s leaders and decision makers. Shortlisted for a Grammy nomination in 2009, for her critically-acclaimed album Distancia in the Best Jazz Vocal Album category, Herrera sings in Spanish, English, and Portuguese, in a style that elegantly blends and surpasses language boundaries.
Fabio Gouvea is the guitarist, composer and arranger who has been has been praised for being a musician with a strong melodic approach, a deep harmonic concept, and an uplifting rhythmic feel - all characteristics that have made him one of the most in-demand artists of his generation.
Bassist and composer Felipe Brisola is one of the most sought-after musicians in the Brazilian musical scene today. Notorious for his incredible rhythmic abilities, strong musical awareness, and melodic soloing, Felipe is a virtuoso in both acoustic and electric bass.
Best known for his musicality, groove and profound understanding of a variety of styles, percussionist, educator and composer Alex Kautz has found a unique musical voice as a result of his passion for jazz and world music.
