PAQUITO DE RIVERA, Prodigy of the Cuban Music. VIDEOS. *** PAQUITO DE RIVERA, un prodigio de la Música Cubana. VIDEOS.PAQUITO D’ RIVERA, PRODIGY OF THE CUBAN MUSIC.
Paquito D’Rivera (born 4 June 1948 in Havana, Cuba) is a Cuban alto saxophonist, clarinetist and soprano saxophonist.
Paquito was a child prodigy. He started learning music at the age of 5 with his father Tito Rivera, a well-known classical saxophonist and conductor in Cuba.
D’Rivera grew up in Cuba, playing both saxophone and clarinet and performing with the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba at a young age.
When he was seven, became the youngest artist ever to endorse a musical instrument, when he signed on with the music company Selmer.
PAQUITO D’RIVERA WITH CHUCHO VALDES.
By 1980, D’Rivera was dissatisfied about the constraints placed on his music in Cuba for many years, and had always longed to come to the United States. In early 1981, while on tour in Spain, he sought asylum with the American Embassy, and left his homeland, wife and child behind in search of a better life with a promise to get them out. Upon his arrival in the United States, D’Rivera found help from many people for him and his family. His mother Maura and his sister Rosario had left Cuba in 1968 and had become US citizens. Many notables who reached out to help Paquito were Dizzy Gillespie, David Amram, Mario Bauza and Bruce Lundvall, who gave him first solo recording date. D’Rivera quickly earned respect among American jazz musicians and was introduced to the jazz scene at some of the most prestigious clubs and concert halls in New York. He became something of a phenomenon after the release of his first two solo albums, Paquito Blowin (June 1981) and Mariel (July 1982).
Throughout his career in the United States, D’Rivera’s albums have received reviews from critics and have hit the top of the jazz charts. His albums have shown a progression that demonstrates his extraordinary abilities in bebop, classical and Latin/Caribbean music. D’Rivera’s expertise transcends musical genres as he is the only artist to ever have won Grammy Awards in both Classical and Latin Jazz categories.
D’Rivera also plays with “crossover” artists such as the Ying Quartet, Turtle Island String Quartet, cellist Mark Summer, pianist Alon Yavnai, and Yo-Yo Ma. He has performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall and played with the National Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Florida Philharmonic Orchestra, Bronx Arts Ensemble, Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, YOA Orchestra of the Americas, Costa Rican Symphony Orchestra, American Youth Philharmonic, and Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra.
D’Rivera is an Artist in Residence at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and artistic director of the Festival International de Jazz en el Tambo in Uruguay. He is also a member of the Alon Yavnai-Paquito D’Rivera Duet and the Jazz Chamber Trio.
He has also written a memoir entitled My Sax Life.
In 2005, D’Rivera wrote a letter criticizing musician Carlos Santana for his decision to wear a t-shirt with the image of Che Guevara on it to the 2005 Academy Awards, citing Guevara’s role in the execution of counter-revolutionaries in Cuba, including his own cousin.
D’Rivera was a judge for the 5th and 8th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists.
U.S. President George W. Bush stands with recipients of the 2005 National Medal of Arts on November 9, 2005, in the Oval Office.
1979 “Irakere” Best Latin Recording – 22nd Annual Grammy Awards
1996 Portraits of Cuba won Best Latin Jazz Performance – 39th Annual Grammy Awards
2000 “Music of Two Worlds” nominated Best Classical Album – 42nd Annual Grammy Awards
2000 “Tropicana Nights” won Best Latin Jazz Album – 1st Annual Latin Grammy Awards
2001 “Paquito D’Rivera Quintet, Live at the Blue Note” won Best Latin Jazz Album – 2nd Annual Latin Grammy Awards
2001 “The Clarinetist Vol. 1” nominated Best Classical Crossover Album – 43rd Annual Grammy Awards
2003 “Brazilian Dreams” won Best Latin Jazz Album – 4th Annual Latin Grammy Awards
2003 “Historia del Soldado” won Best Classical Album – 4th Annual Latin Grammy Awards
2003 Doctorate Honoris Causa in Music, Berklee College of Music
2004 “Merengue” won Best Instrumental Composition – 47th Annual Grammy Awards
2004 Jazz Journalists Association, Clarinet of the Year Award
2005 National Medal of Arts recipient
2005 National Endowment for the Arts – Jazz Masters recipient
2008 Funk Tango won Best Latin Jazz Album – 50th Annual Grammy Awards.
Agencies/Wiki/InternetPhotos/youtube/www.thecubanhistory.com
THE CUBAN HISTORY, HOLLYWOOD.
Arnoldo Varona, Editor.
CUBA PHOTOS.
PAQUITO DE RIVERA, UN PRODIGIO DE LA MÚSICA CUBANA.
Paquito D’Rivera (nacido el 4 de junio de 1948) es un cubano saxofonista, clarinetista y saxofonista soprano. El ganador de múltiples premios Grammy y otros premios, D’Rivera ha vivido en Estados Unidos desde la década de 1980. Ha trabajado en una variedad de contextos, pero es quizás mejor conocido por interpretar el jazz latino. Ha ganado seis premios Grammy Latinos y cuatro premios Grammy.
Nacido en La Habana, D’Rivera se crió en Cuba. Él comenzó a aprender música a la edad de cinco años con su padre Tito Rivera, un saxofonista clásico bien conocido y conductor en Cuba. Mismo Paquito aprendió tanto el saxofón y el clarinete y tocó con la Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Cuba a una edad temprana.
Cuando tenía siete años, se convirtió en el artista más joven en aprobar un instrumento musical, cuando firmó con la compañía de música Selmer.
PAQUITO D’RIVERA WITH CHUCHO VALDES.
Paquito D’Rivera fue un niño prodigio al empezar a los cinco años sus estudios musicales bajo la tutela de su padre, Tito, un conocido saxofonista y director cubano. A los seis años ya actuaba en público, y a los siete años, se convirtió en el miembro más joven del grupo que supiese tocar un instrumento, cuando se unió a la famosa compañía, Selmer.
En 1958, cuando apenas contaba con diez años, D’Rivera actuó en el Teatro Nacional de La Habana, dejando estupefacto al público y los críticos. Ingresó en el Conservatorio de La Habana a los doce años para estudiar clarinete, composición, consonancia, y “todo lo demás”. En 1965, D’Rivera con tan sólo 19 años, convertido en todo un virtuoso del clarinete y el saxo, actuaba por primera vez, como solista con la Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Cuba, en un concierto televisado a nivel nacional. Ese mismo año, D’Rivera y el pianista Chucho Valdés, fundaron la famosa Orquesta Cubana de Música Moderna, de la cual fue director durante algo más de dos años. Ocho de los músicos más jóvenes y aventureros de la Orquesta, se unieron a otros tres músicos para formar Irakere, cuya explosiva mezcla de jazz, rock, música clásica y música tradicionalmente cubana no se había escuchado jamás.
La irrupción en los últimos tiempos de la música y los músicos cubanos en el panorama internacional y su masiva implantación posterior en recitales, conciertos y grabaciones varias, así como la proyección cinematográfica que muchos de ellos han tenido en películas como Buenavista Social Club, Calle 54 o en Los Reyes del Mambo, ha sido decisiva para que la música traspasara la Isla de Cuba y sus músicos dados a conocer en todo el mundo. Nadie duda que entre esos grandes músicos está Paquito D’Rivera, uno de los grandes estandartes de dicho movimiento y de los responsables de su implantación.
Tras fundar en 1965 con Chucho Valdés la Orquesta Cubana de Música Moderna y posteriormente el citado grupo Irakere, con el que causaron sensación en los festivales de Newport y Montreux (1978), se traslada a los EE.UU. bajo la protección de, entre otros importantes músicos, del maestro del jazz, Dizzie Gillespie. Allí comienza su colaboración con los mejores músicos como Arturo Sandoval, Roditi, Michel Camilo y rescata del ostracismo a Bebo Valdés, un pianista, padre de Chucho Valdés que lograría en los primeros años del siglo XXI, un gran éxito con su disco “Lágrimas Negras” junto al cantaor flamenco Diego “El Cigala”.
Posteriormente graba con la Orquesta Sinfónica de Londres bajo la dirección de Lalo Schifrin, y en 1995 por primera vez con el Caribbean Jazz Project; poco después gana el Grammy por su disco “Portraits of Cuba”. Ha colaborado con Eddie Gómez, Mc Coy Tyner, Herbie Mann, Tito Puente, Astor Piazzolla, etc. y ha publicado sus memorias en el libro “Mi vida saxual”.
Premios
1979 “Irakere” Best Latin Recording – 22nd Annual Grammy Awards
1996 Portraits of Cuba won Best Latin Jazz Performance – 39th Annual Grammy Awards
2000 “Music of Two Worlds” nominated Best Classical Album – 42nd Annual Grammy Awards
2000 “Tropicana Nights” won Best Latin Jazz Album – 1st Annual Latin Grammy Awards
2001 “Paquito D’Rivera Quintet, Live at the Blue Note” won Best Latin Jazz Album – 2nd Annual Latin Grammy Awards
2001 “The Clarinetist Vol. 1” nominated Best Classical Crossover Album – 43rd Annual Grammy Awards
2003 “Brazilian Dreams” won Best Latin Jazz Album – 4th Annual Latin Grammy Awards
2003 “Historia del Soldado” won Best Classical Album – 4th Annual Latin Grammy Awards
2003 Doctorate Honoris Causa in Music, Berklee College of Music
2004 “Merengue” won Best Instrumental Composition – 47th Annual Grammy Awards
2004 Jazz Journalists Association, Clarinet of the Year Award
2005 National Medal of Arts recipient
2005 National Endowment for the Arts – Jazz Masters recipient
2008 Funk Tango won Best Latin Jazz Album – 50th Annual Grammy Awards.
Agencies/Wiki/InternetPhotos/youtube/www.thecubanhistory.com
THE CUBAN HISTORY, HOLLYWOOD.
Arnoldo Varona, Editor.