Nine-time Grammy Winner Paquito D’Rivera is getting set to perform on the Weehawken waterfront this week, and the North Bergen resident plans on bringing a few good – and musically talented – friends with him.
“Paquito and Friends,” the second show of the Hudson River Performing Arts Center (HRPAC) Summer Concerts on the Hudson music series at Lincoln Harbor Park, sponsored in part by the Hudson Reporter, will take place on July 20 at 7 p.m.
D’Rivera is regarded as one of the top performers on the Latin jazz scene today; he’s a recipient of the National Medal of Arts, has been named a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts, and has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Carnegie Hall for his contributions to Latin music.
“It’s so important for people to be close to the arts.” – Paquito D’Rivera
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A heart for Hudson County
Originally from Cuba, the nine-time Grammy winner is a proud Hudson County resident who can claim that title confidently – he’s lived in nearly all of the towns in the county since moving to Union City from Cuba in 1980, a time when the city had attracted a strong Cuban population.
“The entire town smelled like black beans and rice,” he recalled last week with a laugh.
After living in New York City for a few years, D’Rivera moved to West New York, spent 10 years living in Weehawken, and now resides in North Bergen.
As a resident of the county he’s also a staunch supporter of the local music scene and the performing arts center which the HRPAC organization hopes to one day build along the waterfront. He’s also a member on the HRPAC Board of Trustees.
“I hope that someday we can make it possible,” he said. “It’s so important for people to be close to the arts; to have arts centers and galleries and places like that. It’s very important for the spirit of the people.”
Politics and art
D’Rivera knows firsthand the importance of utilizing art as a medium to inspire the spirit of a people. While still living in his native Cuba, Paquito was a founding member and co-director of the legendary musical ensemble Irakere. He was also a founding member of the United Nations Orchestra, a 15-piece ensemble formed by Dizzy Gillespie to showcase the fusion of Latin and Caribbean influences with jazz.
But when it comes to creating his own music, he likes to keep his art and his politics separate.
“Art has its own life,” he said. “Music has a mind of its own. It can reflect many things and have a different impression on different people.”
However, he said, he recently put that belief aside and mixed the two when he worked on a special piece for the Jose Limon Dance Company dedicated to the “Ladies in White,” a movement of Cuban women who march in support of political prisoners.
Whatever is good
D’Rivera’s own numerous recordings include more than 30 solo albums and a discography that reflects his mastery of Jazz, Bebop and Latin music.
His contributions to classical music are notable and include solo performances with many of the world’s great orchestras and ensembles. A true renaissance man, he’s also an accomplished composer and author.
But after decades of accolades and accomplishments, how does D’Rivera keep his music fresh and his love of the art alive? By listening, he said.
“Learn to listen instead of playing all the time,” said D’Rivera. “When you listen to other people you get new ideas.”
When asked what he listens to, D’Rivera responded by saying there are only two kinds of music – good and bad. And what he listens to is “anyone who plays good.”
A night of the improv
The performance on Wednesday will be a night of inspiring music and an improvised set list.
“It’s like when you’re going to fish,” he said. “You know you’re going to fish, but you don’t know what you’re going to get.”
But whatever happens by the end of the evening, attendees should be satisfied. “I’m positive it will be a good time because these are quality musicians,” he said.
Paquito and Friends will perform the second show of the Summer Concerts on the Hudson music series at Lincoln Harbor Park on July 20 at 7 p.m. Attendees may bring a blanket or lawn chair.
For more information, directions, and late breaking concert news and updates, check the HRPAC website www.hrpac.org or call (201) 716-4540.
Lana Rose Diaz can be reached at ldiaz@hudsonreporter.com.
***SIDEBAR***
A few good friends
For the concert on June 20, Paquito D’Rivera will be joined by members of his jazz ensemble, including Alex Brown on piano, Oscar Stagnaro on bass, and Mark Walker on drums. Special guests will include pianist and composer Fernando Otero, who received a Latin Grammy for Best Classical Album last year for his album, Vital. Also featured will be rising star jazz violinist Andrei Matorin and world renowned Jazz harpist Edmar Castaneda.