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| Singers Over Manhattan Jazz at Lincoln Center continues to feature some of the finest vocalists and musicians of our time with Singers Over Manhattan featuring passionate and powerful vocalist Miguel Poveda, joined by percussionist Giovanni Hidalgo and Flamenco guitarist Juan Gómez Chicuelo in front of the breathtaking view in The Allen Room on January 19, 20, 21, 2006 at 7:30pm. Overlooking Central Park, Columbus Circle and a Manhattan skyline, The Allen Room is located in Frederick P. Rose Hall, home to Jazz at Lincoln Center. These electrifying musicians combine their talents in the showcase of The Allen Room. Mr. Poveda will soar to the heights of vocal performance as he keeps time with the incredible conga player Mr. Hidalgo, complimented by the nimble fingering of Flamenco guitarist Chicuelo. This Latin-laced series will hypnotize the audience with the rhythms of the world. Singer Miguel Poveda was awarded four prizes at the Festival de Cante de las Minas de La Union held in 1993, including the prestigious La'mpara Minera prize. From that moment on, his career began gaining momentum. He was in the movie La Teta y Las Luna, by Bigas Luna, he recorded his first record, Viento del Este, and he appeared on national and international festivals such as Logrono's Actual, Madrid's Tarantos, Sevilla's Bienal de Arte Flamenco, Paris' Fiesta de la Musica and Antwerp's Festival de Flamenco. In 1997, he produced a show for the seminar organized by the University of Bologna on the Poets of the Generation of 1927. He was also requested by the Festival of Culture and Arts in Ramallah, Palestine, and soon after did his first tour of Japan. In 1998, he presented his work Suena Flamenco, (which was nominated for the 2000 Grammy Latino Awards) and collaborated as guest artist in the theater play La Vida es Sueno, directed by Calixto Bieito, in The International Festival of Edinburgh. Mr. Poveda has participated in several festivals: Musicora in Paris, Festival Grec in Barcelona (where he presented the production Flamenco en Orquestra with Joan Albert Amargos and Chicuelo), Stimmen in Lorrach, Emmas de Cerdena. In 2000, he released his second CD, Zaguan. Among his latest achievements, he appeared in the show Contrastes presented with Agusti Fernandez. He shared the stage with Santiago Auseron in Altaveu '03 and he was in the production of Qawwali Jondo, Poemas del Exilio de Rafael Alberti of the composer Enric Palomar, for which he received the award Ciutat de Barcelona 2003. Critics describe Miguel Poveda as an artist of huge talent and skills. He displays innovation at the same time as having a deep respect for tradition. Legendary percussionist Giovanni Hidalgo was born in Puerto Rico in 1963 and grew up in home filled with the drums, bongos, congas and timbales used by his father and grandfather, both musicians themselves. Mr. Hidalgo began playing on a home made conga crafted by his father from a wooden barrel, when he was just eight years old. He also practiced on other percussion instruments, applying his great talent to become one of the top Latin percussionists in the world today. The sounds other drummers create with sticks, Mr. Hidalgo creates with his hands. His lightning-fast precision is particularly admired by others. Mr. Hidalgo first became popular outside his native Puerto Rico in the early 1980's. In 1981 he went to Cuba to work with Batacumbele. There he met Changuito and Mr. Hidalgo's career took a different turn. The two artists were perfectly attuned to each and this was evident in Batacumbele's debut album. That effort, featuring Mr. Hidalgo's incredible hand drumming technique, gave him instant prominence among musicians around the world. As much as Mr. Hidalgo drew inspiration from the Cuban musicians he performed with, they too took something away from the experience. Many tried to replicate Mr. Hidalgo's technique, and incorporated it into their style of music called songo. This effect was mirrored in Puerto Rico as the Cuban style music was a smashing success. But the rapport and life-long friendship with Changuito was a precursor to a similar relationship that Mr. Hidalgo forged with American jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie, just a few years later. Mr. Hidalgo met Mr. Gillespie while performing with Eddie Palmieri in New York. Mr. Gillespie liked what he heard from Mr. Hidalgo and suggested a future collaboration. The future came in 1988 when Mr. Gillespie recruited Mr. Hidalgo to play with him in the United Nations Jazz Orchestra. In 1992, Mr. Hidalgo accepted a teaching position at Berklee College of Music in Boston. He remained there for four years of which Mr. Hidalgo said, "I was teaching and learning at the same time. I put together all types of rhythms – Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, African, reggae and jazz." After having collaborated on many recordings, it was in 1992 when Mr. Hidalgo released his first album, Villa Hidalgo. He has subsequently released at least seven additional albums, including Jazz Descargas in 2001, with the Conga Kings. Juan Gómez Chicuelo, (Barcelona, 1968), or simply Chicuelo, began his study of the guitar as a child, in and around the peñas flamencas. He studied among many others with the brothers Manolo Sanlúcar and Isidro Muñoz. In his early years, he worked in Barcelona at the Tablao de Carmen with Mario Escudero, Angelita Vargas, La Tolea, Yerbabuena, Sara Baras, Adrián Galia, Belén Maya, Antonio "el Pipa", Joaquin Grilo, etc. He has worked as a studio musician for many different artists, including: Tomatito, Duquende, Mayte Martín, Ginesa Ortega, and Joan Manuel Serrat; and as the musical director in recording sessions such as "Siento" and "Oscuriá", by Ginesa Ortega; and "Suena Flamenco", by Miguel Poveda. He has done a version of the music from the last Orson Welles film, "El Quijote", and he has participated in the "Festival de Jóvenes Flamencos", held in Paris. In 1996, he was the founding member of the group "Cambalache". He has accompanied the singing of Enrique Morente, Rancapino, Chano Lobato, José Mercé, Duquende, Mayte Martín, and Potito, and he is the habitual accompanist of Miguel Poveda. write your comments about the article :: © 2005 Jazz News :: home page |