All-Star Filmed Concert Premiers April 28th
Calling all fans of samba, bossa nova, son jarocho – and jazz. An extraordinary filmed concert of an all-star evening of Afro-Latin jazz and música veracruzana will stream starting April 28, 2021, when the Soraya presents Fandango at the Wall —The Shape Shifter Sessions. The night features multi-Grammy Award-winning Arturo O’Farrill, special guests Broadway star Mandy Gonzalez, The Villalobos Brothers, and master son jarocho musicians who recorded remotely in Vera Cruz and Tijuana. Sound awesome? It is!
“Arturo O’Farrill and his ensemble were on our original 2020-21 season before it was canceled,” said Thor Steingraber, Executive and Artistic Director of The Soraya. “I was excited when Arturo suggested filming the concert instead. By the time it came together, the winter COVID spike had begun, but they were undaunted. I’m impressed by their fearlessness.”
And music lovers will be impressed by the global talents this lively filmed concert brings together. Mexican-born pianist, composer and educator Arturo O’Farrill has performed with Dizzy Gillespie, Lester Bowie, Wynton Marsalis, and Harry Belafonte. In 2007, he founded the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the performance, education, and preservation of Afro Latin music.
In December 2010, Arturo traveled with the original Chico O’Farrill Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra to Cuba, returning his father’s musicians to his homeland. He travels to Cuba regularly as an informal Cultural Ambassador, working with Cuban musicians, dancers, and students, bringing local musicians from Cuba to the US and American musicians to Cuba.
Broadway star Mandy Gonzalez (In the Heights, Hamilton, and Wicked) possesses one of the most influential and versatile contemporary voices of our time. Equally, at home on the big and small screen, she has appeared in Across the Universe, ABC’s drama thriller Quantico and CBS’s breakout hit Madam Secretary. Mandy can be heard as the voice of Mei in Disney’s Mulan 2. Ms. Gonzalez is an exciting talent whose bountiful vocal gifts are delivered with a winning elegance.
The Villalobos Brothers have been acclaimed as one of today’s leading contemporary Mexican ensembles. Their original compositions and arrangements masterfully fuse and celebrate the richness of Mexican folk music with the intricate harmonies of jazz and classical music.
The ensemble’s virtuosic performances have delighted audiences worldwide. They’ve shared stages and recording studios with legendary musicians, including Grammy winners Bruce Springsteen, Dolly Parton, Antonio Sánchez, Regina Carter, Eduardo Magallanes, Dan Zanes, Sierra Hull, and Ana Tijoux. The Villalobos Brothers deliver a powerful message of love, brotherhood and social justice with brilliance and cadence. It is they, who in 2018, joined forces with Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra for the Fandango at the Wall project. This ambitious undertaking, produced by Kabir Sehgal, united legendary international musicians for a live concert at the Tijuana-San Diego border wall, which resulted in a live album and this documentary film by Taylor Krauss.
A musical evening like no other, Fandango at the Wall —The Shapeshifter Sessions will begin streaming for the general public on Wednesday, April 28 at 4 pm (PT), 7 pm (ET) at www.shapeshifterlab.com/livestream/fandango-alja