Musical Jazz Day in Pessac, the first new event featuring Roberto Fonseca and Sarah McCoy.
September 14, a date to remember for the first edition of the Jazz in Pessac festival at the Château de Camponac, an event rich in music, with free concerts in the afternoon and a high-level program in the evening.
The great Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca made a stopover in the studio of Le Monde est un Village with his latest album `La Gran Diversión’. On this project, the brilliant and eclectic musician immerses us in Cuba’s roaring twenties. As well as being an invitation to party and dance, the album is a subtle blend of traditions from his roots, Santeria and his own rich experience. Rencontre.
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Immense. Whether you know Roberto Fonseca or not, from the very first notes you wonder where this musical genius comes from. And the prodigious pianist from Havana was not short of questions for the nearly 1500 spectators at the second evening of Jazz à l’Hospitalet. Is it the spirit of Caribbean tradition, the breath of modern virtuosity or the inspiring legacy of his mother Mercedes, a legendary bolero dancer and singer? Roberto Fonseca is undoubtedly a bit of all this, with that little extra, elusive or indefinable touch.
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It was the godmother of the 2024 edition, Christelle Durandy, who came to announce the second part, the long-awaited Roberto Fonseca. Roberto had already graced the Tempo stage in 2002, when the festival presented Omara Portuondo and Cachaito Lopez, two great Cuban and Buena Vista bands.
At the piano, a very talented young man, Roberto Fonseca, known only in Cuba through the musicians and artistic history of his family: his mother Mercedes, a dancer at the Tropicana Club (like Omara), and his father, Roberto, a drummer. Since then, Roberto has become a fixture at international jazz and “world music” festivals.
and “world music” festivals.
Roberto Fonseca at Tempo Latino: a long-awaited event. 2002 to be exact, the year in which the Cuban, then a young pianist, accompanied the august Omara Portuondo and Orlando “Cachaíto” López. It’s a musician of international renown who returns to Vic-Fezensac. As you can read below, the La Gran Diversión project has all the qualities required to set the arenas alight.
To read the full article, click here
The tour kicks off today! I’m excited to share with you all my upcoming concert dates around the world, come see me in any of these cities and get ready for a lot of fun! There are still more dates to be announced, so stay tuned for more surprises….
The 32nd Biarritz Amérique Latine Film Festival was attended by numerous artists, including Cuba’s Roberto Fonseca and Jorge Perugorría. Fonseca gave a captivating concert and a master class on film music. Perugorría filled the festival with laughter with a cycle of Cuban comedies, and presented the iconic film “Strawberry and Chocolate,” which celebrated its 30th anniversary.
“The luxury approach initiated in 2023 with the arrival of Electro Deluxe continues with a concert by Cuban star Roberto Fonseca on Sunday, July 21, on the Larnas stage”, they are pleased to announce. The show will be preceded by a salsa class given by the great dancer Atocha Showman, and a special dance floor will be set up in front of the San Pedro church, where the concert will take place.
For more information, click here
The EFG London Jazz Festival has made the second of its monthly press announcements. A complete list of what is announced/ bookable so far follows, with the new shows in bold. The shows listed here are currently on sale.
Wednesday, 20 Nov – Roberto Fonseca – Cadogan Hall
The 26th Jazz San Javier has an important presence of Cuban talent such as pianist Roberto Fonseca, Roberto Carlos Valdés ‘Cuchurucho’ and Cimafunk, known as the ‘Cuban James Brown’. The most eagerly awaited performances will include Gregory Porter, considered “the best jazz vocalist” of the moment, and the charismatic Diana Krall. There will be concerts that will leave their mark as the Tex Mex band Calexico and great jazz stars in magical combinations as the great guitarist Lee Ritenour with the pianist winner of 7 Grammys, Dave Grusin, the Brazilian singer and pianist Ivan Lins and the harmonica of Grégoire Maret.
For more information click here
This Friday “Olokun”, the new album by the outstanding musician Rodrigo Sosa, is released. The production is a collaboration between Empresa de Grabaciones y Ediciones Musicales (EGREM), El Cerrito Records and Producciones Colibrí, and features original music by Roberto Fonseca, who also served as producer, arranger and composer of the songs presented in the album.
For more information click here
https://www.tsfjazz.com/programmes/habana-social-clubThe Roberto Fonseca show, exclusively on TSF Jazz. Every other Friday at 7pm. Today’s greatest Cuban pianist shares his love of Cuban music, past and present.
This is not the first time that Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca has performed at Tempo Latino. But it is the first time he has performed under his own name! As the icing on the cake, he’ll be bringing his brand-new project, La Gran Diversión, to the Vic-Fenzensac arenas, a Dantesque show that plunges the audience into the golden age of Cuban música. Before transforming the Vic-Fenzensac Arena into a gigantic open-air cabaret, the Cuban pianist was kind enough to answer a few of our questions…
For further information, click here.
“The concert went really well. The audience is really crazy, there’s such an atmosphere, it’s magical. We had a great time, sharing traditional Cuban music with a modern twist. I’m really happy because seeing people dance, sing and stand up for us is really important.”
For more information click here
“The Afro-Cuban composer Roberto Fonseca arrives this Friday at the Jazz by the Sea festival in l’Escala to inaugurate the series of concerts that will take place in the coastal town of the Costa Brava until October. Also performing will be the group Kuma and Adrian Cunningham in trio. The concert series will continue until October, with top international artists such as Giulia Valle, Endea Owens and Gorka Benítez performing on weekends at the Ultramar.”
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Roberto Fonseca‘s Guest Curator playlist is now available on Qwest TV. Roberto” has been a leading figure in the Afro-Cuban jazz scene for over two decades now. Born to a singer mother and a drummer father, music was always a clear path for this piano prodigy, who has made mixing different genres and universes his trademark. Fonseca’s music functions like a solar system, with Cuban music at its heart, and jazz, classical and African influences orbiting around it. In his own words, it is “spiritual and muscular, and open to folklore from all over the world.”
“The ticket office has only been open for a few days, and already all tickets for the pianist and singer’s concert in Olivet on May 30 have been sold.”
To read more click here.
Welcome to Roberto Fonseca‘s Habana Social Club.
A few forgotten gems, the trends and the must-sees… the bands and musicians who make Cuba what it is today, and those who are writing the history of this incredible island of musical diversity.
Roberto Fonseca invites you into his home for a totally exclusive show created for TSFJAZZ at the heart of Cuba’s history.
Episode number 13 Presented on FRIDAY APRIL 05 2024
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Roberto Fonseca boasts a rich career. A close friend of the late Ibrahim Ferrer, the sublime singer of the Buena Vista Social Club, and involved in various projects such as the album At Home with the Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara, the Havana-born pianist is equally open to embracing different musical approaches. A case in point is his work with the Brownswood label on remixes for producer and DJ Gilles Peterson. And, of course, his own discography, which presents a captivating musical universe.
To see it click here
“The prestigious Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca arrives at Jazz San Javier after the publication in 2023 of ‘La gran diversión’, his latest work with which he proposes a return to the golden age of Cuban music. Standard bearer of the fusion of Cuban son, both with jazz and other musical genres, Roberto Fonseca, proposes on this occasion a festive tribute, full of mambo, rumba and bolero to the wild nights of Havana and the Cabane Cubaine cabaret in Paris, the most famous of the 30s. The beginnings of his career with the prestigious Cuban group Buena Vista Social Club, with whom he performed more than 400 concerts around the world, have marked his solo career of almost 25 years, in which he has worked with the master of son Ibrahim Ferrer or Amara Portuando, among others.”
In an exclusive interview with Prensa Latina, the musician said that this rhythm is the characteristic element in Latin jazz and, in particular, in Cuban jazz, which makes us different from other styles, he declared. For us Cubans, that rhythmic order is very important, said Fonseca, who also analyzed with this media about the current state of Cuban music in general.
When talking about the musical environment in our country, I think it is in a very good state, whether in terms of jazz, rumberos, soneros or specifically percussion,” he said.
Full interview on (Prensa Latina)
From July 16 to 25, the Jazz sur un plateau festival returns with a series of concerts throughout the Draga community of communes. The headliner of this 18th edition is none other than Roberto Fonseca, who has established himself over the last fifteen years as one of the leading figures in Cuban jazz. More info on Le Dauphine.
Roberto Fonseca presents a “fascinating combination of Cuban musical tradition and contemporary influences from jazz, fusion and electronic music” at the 2024 edition of Jazzx Festival. (Timisoara, Romania) “Roberto Fonseca is an internationally acclaimed Cuban pianist and composer known for his innovative approach to Latin jazz music. His remarkable musical talent is a fascinating combination of Cuban musical tradition and contemporary influences from jazz, fusion and electronic music. Fonseca has been recognized for his virtuoso piano skills and his ability to bring diverse elements into a harmonious and captivating synthesis. He has become one of the great ambassadors of Cuban music, with an elegant blend of old and new. Although his main passion remains jazz, the pianist’s style is as diverse as the people of Havana: blues, funk, hip-hop, Afro-jazz… A multitude of influences pour from his keyboards.” Make sure to save the date to not miss his captivating performance at the Jazzx Festival in Timisoara, Romania on July 5th 2024!
Roberto Fonseca will be performing in the United Kingdom in the renowned Sidmouth International Jazz & Blues Festival on the 25th of May 2024 and at the Brighton Festival on the 26th of May. “Since his days as an integral member of Buena Vista Social Club’s touring band, Roberto Fonseca has shown huge respect for Cuba’s musical roots while following his own varied path. Touring with an 8-piece band, this popular and gifted pianist now delves into the period when his Caribbean homeland first made waves overseas – in 1930s Paris. Current album La Gran Diversion takes us back to La Cabane Cubaine, the French capital’s hottest cabaret, where its cool, mixed audience first danced to Cuba’s sultry, sensual beats.” Make sure you save the date to dive within Roberto Fonseca’s unique musical world.
25/05 Sidmouth Jazz Festival
26/05 Brighton Festival
The Jazz Plaza 2024 Festival that will take place in the Havana, Cuba will officially “begin on January 21 and last until the 28th, but it’s going to have an advance on the 20th, at the National Theater, with the show Noche insular, by pianist José María Vitier.” This year will mark the 39th edition of the Jazz Festival, presenting various concerts spreading throughout the city, celebrating Jazz in all its beauty. “The closing will be in charge of Roberto Fonseca and the National Ballet of Cuba at the Avellaneda Hall of the National Theater on the 28th, in tribute to the 75th anniversary of the company directed by Viengsay Valdés. It will have as guests the singer Mayito Rivera and the group Los Muñequitos de Matanzas.”
Savoy Theater in Helsinki is set to host an array of international music stars in its Savoy WORLD concert series and I am PROUD to be part of this year edition! Grab your tickets here.
Much more than a simple concert, the virtuoso pianist from Havana offers a truly immersive experience. Dressed in flamboyant outfits, the orchestra and dancers recreate the rhythm and craziness of the greatest jazz ensembles of the 1930s, from the Cotton Club to Buena Vista and the Cabane Cubaine in Paris. Mambo, rumba, bolero: with or without the steps, this ephemeral dance hall is an invitation to live, breathe and embody the warmth of Cuban nights. Opening the evening, La Fritanga, a trio of musicians at the crossroads of Africa, Cuba and the sound system, will be performing a dancefloor set. Learn more here.
The 34ᵉ edition of the Musicalarue festival will last three days; from Friday 26 July to Sunday 28 July 2024 in Luxey (Landes). The village of 700 inhabitants will welcome more than 15,000 people a day. Musicalarue has unveiled its programme. Its watchword: open up to the world.
Throughout 2024, the Metronum is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a series of 10 exceptional concerts! An elegant blend of tradition and renewal, Roberto Fonseca is one of the great ambassadors of contemporary Cuban music. While his main passion is jazz, the pianist’s style is as diverse as the people of Havana: blues, funk, hip-hop, afro jazz… Opening the show, a DJ set & salsa dance initiation with Isaac Bationon!
SURPRISE! It’s a groovy, muy caliente end to the year for the club, with the arrival of Roberto Fonseca for two exceptional evenings! The immense Cuban pianist will be taking to the Duc’s stage in an intimate trio. An event not to be missed… More info on Duc des Lombards.
A year after its premiere at Jazz à la Villette, Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca takes to the Olympia with the repertoire from his album La gran diversion: a classy immersion in the golden age of Cuban music, when the island’s inhabitants came to dance the mambo and cha cha cha in the cabarets of the Roaring Twenties, but also a return to his roots for this former accompanist of the Buena Vista Social Club. The percussive, melodic jazzman recounts his childhood and his relationship with traditional island music. More info on Télérama.fr
Roberto Fonseca is a renowned Cuban pianist who was born in Havana in 1975. His latest musical project, called La Gran Diversión, is an immersive album mixed with Dolby Atmos technology that will be presented tomorrow at the Eslava Theatre in the capital. Learn more at elmundo.com
Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca is currently presenting his latest album, La Gran Diversión, in Spain and several European countries. The 48-year-old artist has embarked on this ambitious work that transcends strictly musical limits, because it represents a “return to the past” in search of the roots of his Afro-Cuban music that has enchanted audiences all over the world. Full article in Dirty rock.
Having made his name with the Buena Vista Social Club, he is now a sought-after headliner at jazz festivals. Interview with Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca at the Olympia for the presentation of his show “La Gran Diversión”. Lemonde.com
Cuban artist Roberto Fonseca presented this Wednesday in Madrid his latest musical project, ‘La Gran Diversión’, an immersive album mixed with Dolby Atmos technology that pays tribute to the golden age of Cuban music, the “wild nights” of dancing in Havana, as well as the ‘Cabane Cubaine’, the most famous cabarets in Paris in the 1930s. Learn more here.
I am 48 years old. I was born and live in Havana (Cuba). I am a musician, I am a pianist. I have a partner after two divorces. I have no children, but I will have many. Politics? Solutions for the people. Beliefs? I believe in the ancestors and in Changó and Yemayá, my Afro-Cuban deities. You can read the full contra in La Vanguardia
Ever the trouper, Roberto Fonseca was gamely persevering amid the frequent breakdowns on a late-summer Zoom call from his home in infrastructure-challenged Havana, Cuba. On the cusp of a European tour and the release of an album, La Gran Diversión (3ème bureau), the pianist spoke with the urgency of a man who had looked himself in the eye and decided to face the forces that shaped him. “I said, ‘You know what? I’m 48,’” he explained. “I need to tell the truth about my life.’” Full interview at Downbeat.com
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The best jazz new releases. Cover: Roberto Fonseca. Listen now here
It’s “Habana Social Club” Friday! Roberto Fonseca’s new episode on TSF Jazz is available now.
We start Tuesday with Infanta, the group that Victor Moreno-Cid is discovering for us this week. Roberto Fonseca, among others, pianist of Buena Vista Social Club, who has just released his album “La Gran Diversión”, delights us with his piano playing. We close the program with Quique González presenting his latest album “Copas de yate (Vol.I)”. Listen to the complete program here.
Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca presents his album La gran diversión, we also talk about all the time he has shared with Ibrahim Ferrer and Omara Portuondo. Here is the complete interview.
Welcome to Roberto Fonseca’s Habana Social Club. A dive into the heart of Cuban music. A journey through the history, present and future of Cuban rhythms. Friday 03 November 2023 on TSF Jazz.
A few years ago the pianist and composer Roberto Fonseca joined the organizing committee of the Jazz Plaza Festival. This year he returned as the artistic director of the event. Regarding his expectations, he commented to CubaSí:
“I’m very happy, because when I started as music director, the capacity was not what it is now. The Festival has always had interest, but it fell into a rut, it needs a little push, and I think the result will be seen today: the press conference is full, the interest of the musicians in wanting to do new things, even the formats for which it is forbidden to work with jazz things, they are very open and cooperate with one That has always been my intention: to make the Jazz Festival a laboratory where all styles meet and are welcomed.” Read full interview here.
Every other Friday, Roberto Fonseca‘s Habana Social Club on TSF JAZZ is the place to be for an aperitif! A few forgotten gems, the trends and the must-sees… The bands and musicians who make Cuba what it is today, and those who are writing the history of this island of incredible musical diversity. Listen now at TSF Jazz.
The cities of Havana and Santiago de Cuba will host the 39th Jazz Plaza International Festival in January next year, the event’s organizing committee announced on Friday.
In a press conference in Havana, Victor Rodriguez who heads the organizing committee said that high on the festival agenda is the work “Jazz Plaza” by musician and showman Bobby Carcases, creator of the festival.
Carcases announced guests from the United States, Canada and The Netherlands like Nachito Herrera, Ted Nash, Janio Abreu, and the Mal Paso Company among other outstanding jazz performers.
Festival artistic director and musician Roberto Fonseca said that a special moment at the festival will include the fusion of jazz with classic ballet, which will be a dream come true for his artistic work and a tribute to the Cuban National Ballet Company on its 75 anniversary.
Out beyond the Buena Vista Social Club there is a piano. Roberto Fonseca will meet you there. Having stoked his international career by depping for Rubén González, collaborating with Ibrahim Ferrer and directing tours by Omara Portuondo, the hotshot Habanero knows the appeal of sepia-tinted tradition, of tunes you can sway to. That he is also a fan of jazz, funk, reggaeton and rap, all of which he’s folded into his oeuvre over the years, lends a left-field knowingness to this latest studio release, which woos the listener in ways inventive and subtle. Read full review at Songlines.co.uk
On his new album, La Gran Diversion, Fonseca pays tribute to the golden age of Cuban music, the wild nights of Havana and a famous Parisian club from the 1930s, La Cabane Cubaine. “I sometimes think that I wasn’t born in the right era. That’s why I wanted to recreate that atmosphere in my new project, not by covering tunes from those years, but by writing new songs. It wasn’t easy, but when I see people dancing or crying to my music during concerts, I’m happy.” More info on l’avenir.net
In his new album, “La Gran Diversión”, the jazz pianist revealed with the Buena Vista Social Club pays tribute to the golden age of Havana big bands. More info at Moustique.com
Welcome to Roberto Fonseca’s Habana Social Club. A dive into the heart of Cuban music. A journey through the history, present and future of Cuban rhythms.
Some rare, forgotten gems, the trends and the must-haves… the groups and musicians who make Cuba what it is today, and those who are writing the history in the present of this incredibly diverse island.
Roberto Fonseca invites you to his home for a totally exclusive show created for TSFJAZZ, at the heart of Cuba’s history.
A dive into the heart of Cuban music. A journey through the history, present and future of Cuban rhythms. Some forgotten gems, trends and must-haves… The groups and musicians who make Cuba what it is today, and those who are writing the present-day history of this incredibly diverse island.
Roberto Fonseca invites you to his home for a totally exclusive show created for TSFJAZZ at the heart of Cuba’s history. Join us this Friday, October 6 at 7pm for the premiere!
This week, our New Latin Music roundup – a compilation of the best songs, albums and videos recommended by the editors of Billboard Latin and Billboard Español – is fueled by new music from Manuel Medrano, Roberto Fonseca, Juan Luis Guerra, Ricky Martin and Yandel, to name a few. Check out this week’s new songs and albums and vote for your favorite.
Here is a selection of melodies that are music history and that give you life. A journey through the past and present of Caribbean jazz and the work of great artists and composers who have mixed jazz with mambo, descarga, chachachá and rumba.” – Roberto Fonseca on Qobuz
This year could well be the high point of Roberto Fonseca‘s career, as he unveils “La Gran Diversión”. A tribute to the golden age of Cuban music, the wild dance nights of Havana, and the Cabane Cubaine, the most famous cabaret in Paris in the 1930s. Open Jazz – Radio France.
Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca has been linked to music since childhood, but he has never used it as a vehicle to portray his life as he does in his album “La gran diversión“, to be released on Friday. Without falling into cliché, Fonseca can claim that this is his “most personal” album. It is his first in four years. You can read the full article here.
Roberto Fonseca joins the TSFJAZZ radio team! Twice a month, the Cuban pianist will present “Habana Social Club“: an hour of Cuban music, interviews and musical sessions from his studio in Havana. See you on 06 October for the premiere of “Habana Social Club” from 7pm live on TSFJAZZ! 🔥
A former accompanist with the Buena Vista Social Club, he was a gentleman of sound, a percussive jazzman, a reggaeton-style muchacho. With La gran diversión, the prodigious pianist takes us back to the Roaring Twenties in Havana: a classy immersion in the golden age of Cuban music, for which he has assembled a high-style orchestra, with formidable brass and the enchanting voice of Carlos Calunga. Together, they revisit the standards of rumba, mambo and cha-cha-cha, to swing in majesty, in the grand Afro-Cuban gesture. Learn more at Télérama.
The Biarritz Festival Amérique Latine invites you to the Gare du Midi on 27 September, during the festival week, for a unique concert by Roberto Fonseca, the famous Cuban pianist with an international career. Get your tickets now and take advantage of a €10 discount when you buy your season ticket.
Grammy-nominated Cuban legend Roberto Fonseca has announced his new album ‘La Gran Diversión‘ will be released on 22nd September via Wagram Music. On the new album, the virtuoso pianist and former member of the Buena Vista Social Club looks back at Cuba’s roaring Twenties and Cuban musical tradition and effortlessly carries them into the modern days. “La Gran Diversión” out on September 22 via Wagram Music.
Beaune is home to a new festival: the Belen Festival. Bathed in music from five continents, the festival aims to be “a musical journey”. The event, to be held from 13 to 15 October, was born out of a meeting between Charlotte Fougère, Beaune’s deputy for culture and major projects, and singer-songwriter André Manoukian. Tickets are now available! Learn more here.
This summer, the Au Grès du Jazz festival will be celebrating its 20th edition from 5 to 13 August in La Petite Pierre and the surrounding area, with a wide-ranging programme both on and off! As usual, the event will take you to the heart of the essence of jazz and to the discovery of world music. You’ll be able to enjoy a host of concerts by artists from a wide variety of backgrounds. There’s Rhoda Scott, the festival’s godmother, as well as Thomas Dutronc, Roberto Fonseca, Stochelo Rosenberg and Rocky Gresset Trio, Boogie Trio with Jean-Pierre Bertrand, Sébastien Troendle and Arthur Bertrand and Strasbourg’s JeanneMarie, China Moses, JJh Potter, Sarāb and many more!
The International Nisville jazz festival is the largest and most-visited jazz festival in Southeastern Europe. Roberto Fonseca will be presenting his latest project “La Gran Diversion” on August 10th. Learn more here.
Roberto Fonseca returns to Bulgaria, this time to present his new project “La Gran Diversión” at the International Jazz Festival “Dr. Emil Iliev” which will take place between 4-9 August 2023. This is the most famous jazz festival in Bulgaria and will hold a series of free concerts in the town of Borovetz.
The famous French Festival Jazz in Marciac has unveiled the line-up for its 45th edition, from Thursday 20 July to Sunday 6 August 2023. Norah Jones, Ben Harper, Roberto Fonseca, Gilberto Gil, Joe Bonamassa and many more await you.
On one side, Colombian singer Yuri Buenaventura, the darling of the French public, a major artist of salsa and Caribbean rhythms, who became a star thanks to his cover of Jacques Brel. A “Ne Me Quitte Pas” that hides the extent of his vocal abilities, making him a sensitive, profound and incredibly touching artist. On the other, Cuban genius Roberto Fonseca, former musical director of the Buena Vista Social Club and accompanist to the great Ibrahim Ferrer and Omara Portuondo.
Roberto Fonseca presents “La Gran Diversión”: A unique musical experience at the Claustre de Sant Domingo de Pollença on 15 July as part of the Sons De Nit 2023 cycle. Learn more here.
Grammy-nominated Cuban legend Roberto Fonseca has announced his new album ‘La Gran Diversión‘ will be released on 22nd September via Wagram Music. Today, he shares ‘Sal Al Malecón‘, the second single taken from the upcoming record. On this tribute to his hometown Havana, Roberto strolls on his piano as if he were on the Malecón, the legendary promenade that saw him grow up and profoundly inspired him and his music. A beautiful invitation to travel and dance.
Roberto Fonseca blew up the Sala Bulgaria with Cuban and Bulgarian melodies. The Grammy-nominated Cuban jazz pianist filled the hall to capacity with his concert from the “Beyond the Notes” project, in which he combined Cuban music with Bulgarian folklore. You can read the full article in Impressio.
Musical influences begin in the mother’s womb, but they first manifest themselves in the living room. That’s when we feel that what is playing around us brings smiles and feelings. It is the mark with which we will go through life. Later, if we dedicate ourselves to music, there will be depth in those influences and others will come, provoked by admiration for the art itself. Roberto Fonseca searches in the boot of his memories for those musicians and songs that marked him, those songs that move him and whose lyrics he is able to recite by heart. They are all undoubtedly classics, linked to unforgettable moments in life. Listen to the new episode of Isla Sonora here.
This is the story of an encounter and an exclusive creation for the Django Reinhardt Festival. A musical collaboration between the Latin rhythms of Yuri Buenaventura and Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca, former musical director of the Buena Vista Social Club. Historia De Un Amor features boleros and Cuban ballads. On stage at the Django Reinhardt Festival on Saturday 24 June.
The curtain came down on the 30th edition of the Jazzellerault festival on the evening of Friday 16 June 2023 in Châtellerault. Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca played the final concert in front of 1,000 people. Read the full article on La Nouvelle Republique.
Musiques Métisses, Europe’s longest-running world music festival, comes back to life from Friday in Angoulême. Now in its 47th year, the festival runs from Friday 2 to Sunday 4 June, and features French-Algerian singer Souad Massi, Senegalese soul singer Faada Freddy, Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca and more.
Top pianist and orchestra leader Roberto Fonseca made De Roma dance with a delicious mix of jazz and Latin. House photographer Nisran Azouaghe captured another fantastic set of images.
Second part of a special for bohemian spirits. Roberto Fonseca distills love, alcohol, lament and night surrounded by unforgettable songs, those that force you to toast. An episode where everything evolves, as in a long night of bar and drinks. “Dame un tranguito ahora cantinerito”, sang Sierra Maestra; “vierto en las copas todas mis penas”, lamented Panchito Riset; “no tengo amistades que me den consejo”, suffered Bienvenido Granda con la Sonora Matancera; “no me hace falta nada de ti”, clamored Domingo Lugo; “aprendí todo lo bueno, aprendió todo lo malo, sé del beso que se compra, sé del beso que se da”, reflected Rolando LaSerie. After all, “life begins at midnight”, as Benny Moré used to say. Enjoy it here!
Roberto Fonseca has established himself as one of the leading figures in Cuban jazz over the last fifteen years. He returns in 2023 with a new project full of surprises. A special show to be unveiled at the Olympia in Paris on 5 December 2023 on the occasion of his new tour.
Grammy-nominated Cuban legend Roberto Fonseca today releases his new single ‘Mani Mambo’ via Wagram Music. The virtuoso pianist and former member of the Buena Vista Social Club®, whose music is steeped in jazz and AfroCuban tradition, explores his passion for Latin music on the new track. A vibrant celebration of dance and romance, ‘Mani Mambo’ fuses old world tradition with thrilling modernity. “Together we will laugh, cry and enjoy the mystery and magic of rhythms and melodies that rise from my roots” declares Fonseca.
Roberto Fonseca continues to show that Afro-Cuban look that is so full of rhythm! The new episode of Fonseca’s podcast La Isla Sonora collects a list of Afro songs that begin with Mercedita Valdés with the batá drums of Jesús Pérez and his Canto a Eleguá; the beautiful voices of Los Zafiros interpreting La Caminadora; the indomitable Freddy, eternal diva of feeling, bringing out her powerful voice; the “guapachoso” Rolando Laserie with El Pescador; the great Elena Burke with Llanto de Luna; Los Papines and their gypsy guaguancó La Tani; Celeste Mendoza and that beautiful Canción de mi Habana. He closes the programme with a piano performance, and that’s all you could ask for! Listen now here.
Roberto Fonseca proposes a new episode of Isla Sonora at Radio Gladys Palmera with a list of Afro songs with some of his best Cuban and African performers: Xiomara Alfaro and Salif Keita, Lázaro Ross and Nahawa Doumbia, Los Muñequitos de Matanzas and Angelique Kidjo, Bola de Nieve and Fatoumata Diawara. There are few programmes with as much black roots music as this one. Enjoy it!
With the shamanic charisma, good humor and contagious joy that characterize her, Fatoumata Diawara surrounds herself with exceptional artists and initiates unexpected encounters during this exclusive show specially created for France Télévisions. Yemi Alade, Arthur H, Roberto Fonseca, Amadou & Mariam and Barbara Pravi share the Hermitage stage with this great voice of Africa that crosses borders. Watch now Fatoumata’s performance of Sowa with her good friend Roberto Fonseca.
The song Madre Oshun, composed by the musician and artistic director of the Jazz Plaza Festival Roberto Fonseca, sets the rhythm for the great event that captures the spirit of musical convergence by summoning performers of the stature of Brenda Navarrete, Zule Guerra with the luxury insertions of maestros César López and instrumentalists Dayron Ortiz on electric guitar, bassist Yandy Martínez, Ruly Herrera and Adel González. The making of video is now available on Youtube.
With its free sets nestled in the heights of Chamonix, the Cosmo Jazz Festival is on the way to becoming one of the most beautiful in France. Organized by André Manoukian and Charles Vetter, this family-friendly summer program is complemented by a varied line-up of quality. After a memorable performance by bassist Kyle Eastwood in 2021, the event returns in 2022 with the brilliant Roberto Fonseca. Originally from Cuba, the pianist has compiled an interesting discography (we remember a beautiful session with Fatoumata Diawara in Marciac) where Afro-American, Latin, but also classical influences are merged.
This fascinating repertoire reveals the richness of the musical heritage of the great Caribbean island. Surrounded by Yandi Martinez on (double)bass and Ruly Herrera on drums, the native of Havana delivers his share of skillful pieces like “Lluvia” and “Aggua,” and shares his science of rhythm as induced by the heady “Mambo Pa La Niña” and its solar bursts of music. Captured on the Planpraz site, a belvedere facing Mont Blanc, this film is punctuated by breathtaking views. An obvious phenomenon when listening to “No Soy De Esos,” a celestial theme to say the least, and peak of this very singular concert… Wacth now!
He is a legend in Colombian salsa. A magical childhood, a grey adolescence and an adulthood of difficult and exciting moments have made Yuri Buenaventura a well-known artist in Paris and around the world, who has been making music with Manu Chao’s Mano Negra, rappers Orishas, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico and Cheo Feliciano. “Historia de un amor” is his next step in a career full of successes and anecdotes of an artist out of the ordinary, with Roberto Fonseca as musical producer, together with Sebastien Vidal. Listen here.
The 38th edition of the International Jazz Plaza Festival will take place in January 2023. Havana and Santiago de Cuba will be the sites of a great musical celebration that will bring together prestigious Cuban and foreign artists in the Greater Antilles in the free spirit of jazz. The event will take place from January 22 to 29, 2023, according to its organizers, on the occasion of the presentation of the poster representing the event.
As if it were the soundtrack to Gladys Palmera’s book, CHA-CHA-CHA, Roberto Fonseca delves into the origins and impact of this unique rhythm that marked the life of Cuba, “the sound island”. To do this, it turns to some of its greatest exponents such as its very creator, Enrique Jorrín, and the flagship group of cha-cha-chá of all time, the Orquesta Aragón. But a program of Cuban classics cannot leave out musical geniuses like Abelardo Barroso, Carlos Argentino with Sonora Matancera, Alberto Socarrás and the Lecuona Cuban Boys. An unforgettable episode.
You & The Night & The Music 2022 is back! Here is the complete list of all the artists who will participate on December 12, Salle Pleyel, in our big annual evening with ADAMI, and the support of SACEM and Banque Postale. This new edition will have as guest of honor the harmonicist Jean-Jacques Milteau, and as ceremonial orchestra The Amazing Keystone Big-Band. Yuri Buenaventura & pianist Roberto Fonseca join the adventure. As well as, on the voice side, China Moses, Anthony Strong and Judith Owen. The saxophonists Eli Degibri and Laurent Bardainne, the trumpeter Ludovic Louis and the English from Kansas Smitty’s led by Giacomo Smith, will also be by our side.
Learn more here.
Roberto Fonseca drives us through roads of Havana and enjoy the wind while great trumpeters play on the radio. These sonorous winds start and culminate with the fabulous dances enlivened by the orchestra led by Félix Chapottin and Miguelito Cuní, Cuban legends capable of lighting the stove at any time. Chapottin was a genius on the trumpet as have been Guajiro Mirabal, Chocolate Armenteros and Arturo Sandoval, each in his own style. Julio Padrón, Roberto García and Alexander Abreu complete this trip through La Isla Sonora.
Award-winning pianist-songwriter Roberto Fonseca has joined an already-impressive line-up for the ten-year anniversary Rye International Jazz and Blues Festival. The festival will run from August 25 to 29 encompassing the August bank holiday weekend. Also on the line-up are Curtis Stigers, Stanley Jordan, Roachford, Mud Morganfield and Imelda M. Learn more here.
Pianist from Havana, former member of the Buena Vista Social Club, Roberto Fonseca is hailed around the world as the new darling of the Cuban keyboard. A free and always daring artist, he knows how to take risks, break new ground and move his music forward. In his new album Yesun, he fuses everything together: traditional rhythms, electronic sounds and the unavoidable piano, which he plays on stage in an exalted way, full of energy and passion. Broadcast tonight at France 3 Grand Est.
Jazz is much more than music, much more than a musical genre. Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca will be giving a series of workshops on jazz entitled “A sea of jazz” between 11 and 13 July at the Esporles centre. You can book your ticket here.
Faithful to Jazz à la Villette, the pianist Roberto Fonseca proposes this year an exceptional project, a reinvention of the Cabane Cubaine, the mythical Montmartre cabaret of the 1930s. An invitation to dance to the sound of the intoxicating classics of Cuba’s Roaring Twenties. More information on La Gran Diversión here.
GRAMMY®-nominated Cuban pianist, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, composer and bandleader Roberto Fonseca will tour this coming summer in support of the album YESUN, with upcoming shows set for Niort, Vauvert, Paris, Pollença. Check all tour dates here.
With the shamanic charisma, good humour and contagious joy that characterise her, Fatoumata Diawara surrounds herself with exceptional artists and initiates unexpected encounters during this exclusive show specially created for France Télévisions. Yemi Alade, Arthur H, Roberto Fonseca, Amadou & Mariam and Barbara Pravi share the stage at the Hermitage with this great voice of Africa that crosses borders. Show airs tonight at 9:10 pm on Francetv culturebox.
Thanks to the hr-Bigband – Frankfurt Radio Big Band and the arrangements/direction of RAINER TEMPEL for the wonderful concert. You can watch the whole concert again on YouTube.
Roberto Fonseca is coming to the US for his second YESUN tour. The legendary pianists-songwriter will perform on May 12 and 13 in New York, May 14 in Washington, D.C., May 19 in La Jolla, May 10 in Phoenix and May 21 in Denver. More info here.
Roberto Fonseca has announced a new run of UK dates, which will take place in May this year – find tickets here. The pianist will begin his tour in Leeds on April 19. The Leeds show is followed by dates in Kendal, Manchester, Gateshead, Bristol and London.
“No matter how high the sky is in the world, no matter how deep the deep sea is, there won’t be a barrier in the world that my deep love won’t break for you”. This is not only a bolero, it is a declaration of love, it is the total surrender to the loved one. Roberto Fonseca expresses the poetry of those songs that have made generations fall in love, of those phrases that like this one are part of the collective memory, those that we have always said or wanted to say as verses, and that we have hummed as songs.
The list of performers that Roberto brings to this edition of La Isla Sonora is not just any old classic: Benny Moré alongside Pedro Vargas, a legendary encounter of which anecdotes are still told; José Antonio Méndez, brilliant poet of the Cuban filin; Guillermo Portabales, the creator of the guajira de salón; Barbarito Diez, the voice of danzón and elegance made song; Ibrahim Ferrer and Omara Portuondo, another duo that Roberto himself was able to accompany; Abelardo Barroso, godfather of son and cha cha chá; María Teresa Vera, the first diva and first lady of Cuban song; or Nat King Cole and his magnificent vision of the Latin romantic song.
Roberto Fonseca’s new episode has dressed up with his love songs. Available here.
The TSF Jazz programmers present their selection of the most beautiful titles for a Piano Jazz atmosphere. For the occasion, the double vinyls 100% Crooners, 100% Divas, 100% Swing and 100% Jazz Manouche, 100% Jazz Cool, are again available.
The exceptional 100% TSF Jazz collection has been embellished with its latest volume Piano Jazz. Let yourself be carried away by the mix of this selection with Keith Jarrett, Dave Brubeck Quartet, Michel Petrucciani, Oscar Peterson, Roberto Fonseca, Emet Cohen… More info here.
Radio Gladys Palmera launches new programming this year. Two Latin jazz programs revitalize this online radio station, conducted by two of the most important musicians of the genre: Bobby Sanabria and Roberto Fonseca. Isla Sonora is Roberto Fonseca’s Brand new radio show. Focusing more on Cuba and on the large number of talents that La Isla has given to the world, Fonseca takes a journey through the past and present of Caribbean jazz and the work of great pianists and composers who have mixed jazz with mambo, descargas, cha-cha-cha and rumba. Roberto Fonseca is a Havana-born pianist, multi-instrumentalist, composer and conductor. He recorded his first solo album in 1999 and joined the Buena Vista Social Club to later accompany the great legends of Cuban music. In jazz, his collaborations with Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter stand out, and in the production the famous project Havana Cultura. Nominated for a Grammy, his music is inseparable from his mystical experience. THURSDAY.
Roberto Fonseca will be performing two exclusive dates in the Netherlands this fall. First stop will be on October 21st at Bimhuis in Amsterdam, on October 22nd at Muziekgebouw in Eindhoven and the next day Cuban pianist will be performing at LantarenVenster in Rotterdam. Grab your ticket now here.
Roberto Fonseca will return to the road after an amazing summer tour with the Fall YESUN Tour. The 17-date tour is set to kick off on September 25th at Fiestas de la Mercè in Barcelona. The trio—comprised of keyboard Roberto Fonseca, bassist Yandy Martinez, and drummer Ruly Herrera—will travel to festivals and venues across Europe from September through November. See below for a full list of upcoming tour dates for Roberto Fonseca. For ticketing details and more information, head here.
Headliners in Detroit from September 3–6 will include Dee Dee Bridgewater (the festival’s 2021 artist in residence), Herbie Hancock, Kenny Barron, Abdullah Ibrahim, Anat Cohen, Roberto Fonseca, Sean Jones, Kenny Garrett, and Gregory Porter, among others.
The world’s largest free jazz festival takes place each Labor Day weekend in downtown Detroit. Roberto Fonseca will be performing on September 5th along with Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kenny Garrett, Gregory Porter among many others.
The full lineup is below. Visit the Detroit Jazz Festival’s website for more information.
Every Saturday and Sunday, “L’Obs” offers exclusive sessions to its readers, to support the music industry in crisis. You will find big names and the editorial staff’s favourites.
On his piano, Roberto Fonseca has fun pushing the creative limits of his track “Por Ti“. This version shows just how much the Cuban jazz pianist is inspired by classical culture in his everyday life. With Yandy Martinez on bass and Ruly on drums, from his studio, he revisits the eponymous track of his album released in 2019, with the genius that we know him for. While waiting for his visit to France for his concert at the Nice Jazz Festival 2021, on 15 July next on the Place Masséna alongside Angélique Kidjo and the Brad Mehldau Trio.
All YESUN tour dates have been confirmed and many more are still to be confirmed. Pianist Roberto Fonseca‘s tour will begin on 24 April and will last until 23 November. An extensive tour that aims to recover the energy and concerts postponed due to the world situation caused by the pandemic. The tour includes stops at the legendary Jazz à Vienne, Fiest’à Sete, Jazz in Marciac and many other festivals. Of course, there will be surprises on this tour! Click on this link to see the date closest to your city.
Omara Portuondo returns to the European stage. For her farewell, “la novia del filin” has wanted to surround herself with friends and will be accompanied on stage by pianist Roberto Fonseca, who will be the musical director of her concerts, and musicians Yandy Martinez, Ruly Herrea and Andrés Coayo. With concerts confirmed in Barcelona, Mallorca and Menorca, the diva will bring the best Cuban son this summer and it is not ruled out that she will make special appearances at Fonseca’s concerts scheduled in France.
This afternoon in #DeliExpress at TSF Radio we talked with Roberto Fonseca about his European summer and the festivals in which we will have the pleasure to see him play. But while waiting for the big stages, he settled down on our smaller stage and for our greatest pleasure he played “La Llamada”! Podcast here: bit.ly/3dqy9pi
The Havana Jazz Plaza Festival and the UNESCO Transcultura Programme: Integrating Cuba, the Caribbean and the European Union through Culture and Creativity celebrate International Jazz Day 2021 with an online concert and creative exchange from the Caribbean, directed by Cuban musician Roberto Fonseca who presents the Jazz Plaza Band, and with the participation, for the first time, of artists from nine of the 17 Caribbean beneficiary countries of the Transcultura Programme, who will join this jazz festival virtually. This sub-regional concert will feature Caribbean musicians Andre Woodvine from Barbados, Barbara Cadet from Saint Lucia, Oshane Love from Jamaica, Michele Henderson from Dominica, Reginal Policard from Haiti, James Sanker from Belize, Casandra Núñez from the Dominican Republic, and Cuba’s Roberto Fonseca and Bobby Carcassés. The Concert will be a means to promote and integrate the work of Caribbean artists, as well as a didactic material available for use in the teaching-learning process in the region.
Contradanza del espíritu Metropole Orkest Roberto Fonseca & Metropole Orkest conducted by Jules Buckley
Latin jazz at its most epic! Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca and the renowned Metropole Orkest conducted by Jules Buckley joined forces back in January 2020 to celebrate cuban music. This composition is an epic orchestral piece, recorded live, that takes the listener on a journey of music styles. Jules Buckley: “Roberto is a masterful pianist and he, much like the Metropole Orkest, creates new and exciting music with a profound understanding and love for tradition and his own musical heritage.” Listen now on Spotify
From Wagner to Taichkosvky, Grieg and Albinoni, Roberto Fonseca proposes a new playlist with some of his favorites classical music. Sit, relax, play and enjoy!
Roberto Fonseca proposes a new playlist to travel with his favorite music. Titled “Día entero” (All day long)… you will be able to travel with the songs that had him hooked all day long. A varied and diverse music selection; from Porter to Kuti, through Silvio Rodríguez. Learn more here.
Roberto Fonseca enters the world of playlists and offers us a list created exclusively for Radio Gladys Palmera, with the best of Modern Jazz. Classics of modern jazz with aromas of Harlem basements, black novel riffs, whisky and soda, rain on the asphalt and that dark object of desire! An impeccable and impactful session curated by the pianist that you can listen now here!
Roma Jazz Festival will be arriving on #LIVENow with 8 concerts kicking off from the 10th and running through to the 20th of November. Incredible line up includes Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca trio, singer Salvador Sobral and Cuban singer Ylian Cañizares, among many others. Is time for Jazz, is time for a change. Grab your tickets here: bit.ly/RJF_LiveNow
Inspirations #1 is part of a series of playlists that Roberto Fonseca will be sharing on Spotify that invites the audience to discover his musical universe. An extensive journey that starts with D’Angelo, Bob Marley, Tego Calderon to Amy Winehouse, Erikah Badu among many others. Discover now Fonseca’s musical inspirations! Click here and enjoy!
Do you want to discover where the fascination for music in Roberto Fonseca comes from? Then listen now to his new playlist “Mis Favoritas” on Spotify! A great selection of creators that have marked and defined his own musical world. “Mis favoritas” is part of a series of playlists that the artist is sharing on his Spotify profile, with the aim of allowing the public to enjoy a good selection of songs wherever they are.
Royal Albert Home brings exclusive sessions from artists’ homes to yours whilst the Hall is shut. Roberto Fonseca will be performing an exclusive set recorded in his hometown Havana specially for the Royal Albert Hall audience. Don’t miss the broadcast next August 16th at 19:30 royalalberthall.com. These shows are all available for free but, if you can, please donate to the Hall.
Ibrahim Ferrer left us 15 year ago and Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca along with French Jazz Festival Jazz in Marciac pay tribute to one of the most important figures of Cuban music, with a very special concert celebrated in 2015. De retour a Marciac will be broadcasted on Youtube and Facebook next August 6th at 9pm. Learn more here.
Roberto Fonseca could not miss his performance at one of his favorites Festivals in the world! Due to the global pandemic, Jazz in Marciac invited him to play an exclusive repertoire specially selected to his audience at Marciac. Don’t miss the chance to see Fonseca’s pure energy at JIM 2020. Learn more here.
Dianeh Sanchez reviews Fonseca’s musical career, influences and creativity in a deep and extense profile wrote at Tunturuntu.org. Learn more here.
BBC Radio 6 Music DJ Huey Morgan dives into the unique sounds of Cuba with special guest Roberto Fonseca – on a quest to understand Latin music’s enduring appeal. New episode this July 10th at BBC FOUR.
ROOTSTOCK will go online for 48 hours of non-stop music on July 11 & 12. Watch and listen Roberto Fonseca perform alongside each other in this first ever global broadcast. His show is scheduled on July 11th at 12am. Don’t miss this great event, follow all exclusive content here.
Roberto Fonseca releases a new videoclip from his latest album Yesun. Travel through Havana’s streets with the song “oo”. Watch it now here.
The first totally online music festival made from Cuba is appropriately called “Tunturuntu pa ‘tu casa”. A Festival that has brought together the finest of the current Cuban scene: Eme Alfonso, David Blanco, Cimafunk, Daymé Arocena, Alain Pérez, X Alfonso, among many others. For its second edition they will be joined by pianist Roberto Fonseca, this Saturday, March 28 at 18:30 – 19:00 (UTC-4 -EST) local time in Havana.
Grammy-nominated Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca presents an infusion of rap, funk, reggaeton and electronic music, performing songs from his latest record in studio at New Sounds New York. Click here and enjoy this live session.
In the spirit of community, however, Fonseca will perform a set behind closed doors at Joe’s Pub tomorrow night to be live-streamed for free at 7pm ET. Fans can watch the performance via the Joe’s Pub YouTube Channel at http://youtube.com/JoesPubNY/videos.
This playlist will get your International Women’s Day off to a confident start. Roberto Fonseca shares his favorite songs created by strong women. Hit play and enjoy!
Cuban pianist and composer Roberto Fonseca has been a force to reckon with since he was a teenager, and it has been 20 years since he released his first album. His latest, Yesun, is a supremely assured statement that takes the Afro-Cuban stamp on modern jazz as a matter of settled fact. Watch now La llamada.
Daily Discovery: Roberto Fonseca – Kachucha (ft. Ibrahim Maalouf). Click here and enjoy it!
GRAMMY®-nominated Cuban pianist, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, composer and bandleader Roberto Fonseca will tour the U.S. this coming spring in support of the album, with upcoming shows set for New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Washington, DC, Seattle and Portland. Check all tour dates here.
Roberto Fonseca will start soon his worldwide tour. Check all tour dates here.
Out Now! Yesun delves even deeper into the music of Fonseca’s homeland, weaving in beats, spoken word, analogue keyboards, Fonseca’s sonorous vocals and more.
Roberto Fonseca reveals the first extract from his new album YESUN
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