Caramoor 2007 Gets Latin Flavor

By I May. 14, 2007

This summer’s Caramoor International Music Festival will present a seven-concert series called Sonidos Latinos, which opens on June 29 in Katonah, N.Y.

This year’s festival has been expanded to include Latin American music, and will feature performances of Venezuelan dance music, Cuban folk and jazz, Brazilian-inspired jazz, Andean music, and classical music written by composers influenced by their Latin American roots.

Sonidos Latinos will feature two world premieres: “The Venezuelan Suite” by Marco Granados, the festival’s musical advisor, and the Concerto for Double Bass, Clarinet/Alto Saxophone and Orchestra (Conversations with Cachao) by Caramoor’s 2007-08 composer-in-residence, Paquito D’Rivera.

“Sonidos Latinos celebrates the variety and richness of Latin American music and its growing relevance, commensurate with the growing prominence and influence of Latin American culture in our society,” said Michael Barrett, Caramoor’s chief executive and general director. “Over the past three years, we have been showcasing more and more Latin American music during the Festival. With Paquito D’Rivera’s appointment as composer-in-residence and Marco Granados’ participation as music advisor, Sonidos Latinos will offer more opportunities for our audiences to experience these thrilling Latin sounds. By commissioning new pieces, we hope to contribute more great music to this repertoire.”

On July 28, Sonidos Latinos will get a hefty dose of jazz with artists like David Sanchez, Steve Turre, Brazilian pianists Weber Iago and Jovino Santos Neto, Eddie Palmieri, Arturo O’Farrill, and the Joe Lovano/Paquito D’Rivera Festival Ensemble.

For more information, visit www.caramoor.org