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Samuel Torres – Yaoundé
Samuel Torres –//- Yaoundé – [Blue Conga, 2010]
When the imposing talents of one of today’s most versatile Latin jazz artists meld with the organic richness of some of the world’s greatest cultural melting pots, the results are guaranteed to be as fresh and virtuosic as they are revealing and magical. That’s what transpires on Yaoundé, the new release by Samuel Torres. The session confirms that this multi-talented Colombian musician’s rapidly evolving prowess as a composer has come to rival his international acclaim as one of the best percussionists of his generation.
Torres was born September 4, 1976 in Colombia’s bustling capital city of Bogotá and was nurtured in this culturally sophisticated metropolis where jazz and classical music share the stage with salsa and an infinite variety of Colombian folkloric idioms. His earliest exposure to music came at home, thanks to an extended family of musicians and ready access to a wealth of Colombian music genres, from the infectious rhythms of the cumbia and vallenato to styles which reflect a range of African, indigenous and European influences, including the porro, bambuco and pasillo.
A major inspiration was Edy Martinez, an uncle who had risen to fame in the New York City salsa scene in the early 1970s as a pianist and arranger in conga player Ray Barretto’s popular conjunto. Torres further cites Barretto as a primary influence and credits exposure to two seminal Barretto albums that featured his uncle, the early Latin jazz classic The Other Road and the salsa powerhouse Indestructible, as helping to spur his interest in becoming a musician.
Go here, to read a fabulous review by Raul de Gama!
Also, check out Mr. Torres “Skin Tones” release from 2005!
..:: Source: CDBaby.com ::..
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