Hostos Center to Present Papo Vázquez With Mighty Pirates Troubadours This Month

The Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture will present the acclaimed trombonist and bandleader Papo Vázquez in concert, celebrating "Holiday Jazz & Latin Jazz Parranda" with the Mighty Pirates Troubadours and Guest Artists Camille Thurman and Héctor Mercado on Saturday, December 10, 2022 at 8:00 p.m. in the Repertory Theater of Hostos Community College, 450 Grand Concourse in the Bronx.

Grammy Award-nominee and NEA Master Artist Papo Vázquez knows that everyone loves their holiday traditions. In "Holiday Jazz & Latin Jazz Parranda" he celebrates and keeps those traditions alive with his band Mighty Pirates Troubadours. Parranda is traditional Christmas music from the Caribbean and Latin America, including Puerto Rico, Cuba, Trinidad and the coastal areas of Venezuela. In addition to performing Parranda music, Papo Vázquez will celebrate traditional Jazz and Latin Jazz-influenced holiday songs. The acclaimed vocalist and saxophonist Camille Thurman joins him in the festivities with her impeccable vocal virtuosity and captivating artistry. Héctor Mercado brings his Puerto Rican cuatro (a 5 double-stringed guitar) to ramp up the parranda celebration. The concert will be a holiday celebration of inclusivity and cultural togetherness, featuring your favorite holiday songs, new arrangements, new songs and more. For Families and For All Ages.

In Person Tickets are $15 Regular, $10 for Seniors, and $5 for Students & Under 18. Purchase Tickets at the Hostos Box Office at (718) 518-4455 or online at www.hostos.cuny.edu/culturearts. Box Office window hours are Mon - Fr, 1pm to 4 pm and two (2) hours before showtime. Hostos Community College can be reached by the IRT Trains 2, 4, 5 and the Bronx buses Bx1, Bx2, Bx19 to 149th Street and Grand Concourse.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Papo Vázquez

Papo Vázquez's iconic career spans more than 40 years, many of them performing on the stages of the Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture! As a GRAMMY-nominated Latin music luminary and an NEA Master Artist, he is one of the leading voices of the contemporary Latin jazz scene. His eclectic career began in his native Philadelphia. Moving to New York at age 17, he quickly ascended the musical ranks and performed and recorded with legendary salsa stars such as Ray Barretto, Tito Puente, Willie Colón, Grupo Folklórico y Experimental Nuevayorquino, Eddie Palmieri, Larry Harlow, and many more. In 1993, Vázquez released his debut album as a bandleader, Breakout, and in 1999 and 2000, he released At the Point, Vol. 1 and subsequently Vol. 2., with the group that would eventually become known as the Mighty Pirates Troubadours.

Mighty Pirates Troubadours

is the name of Papo Vázquez' band and it takes its inspiration from his own family. Vázquez' father, grandfather and uncle were troubadours who regularly filled his living room with música jíbara; a traditional style of folk music that grew in the mountain regions of Puerto Rico. For this special concert, the Mighty Pirates Troubadours, which includes Papo Vázquez at the helm, are: José Mangual on vocals and percussion; Iván Renta on saxophone; Rick Germanson on piano; Ariel Robles on bass; Alvester Garnett on drums; Reinaldo De Jésus and José Claussell on percussion.

Camille Thurman

has been acclaimed by Downbeat Magazine as a "rising star" singer and hailed by All About Jazz as a "first class saxophonist that blows the proverbial roof of the place", amazing audiences throughout the world with her impeccable sound, remarkable vocal virtuosity and captivating artistry. Many have praised her vocal abilities to the likeness of Ella Fitzgerald and Betty Carter. Her lush, rich & warm sound on the tenor saxophone has led others to compare her to tenor greats Joe Henderson and Dexter Gordon. An accomplished performer and composer, Camille has worked with notable Jazz and R&B icons such as Dianne Reeves, Wynton Marsalis & the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra, Louis Hayes, Alicia Keys and Erykah Badu among others. Career highlights include performing as a featured guest vocalist for "Ella at 100: Forever The First Lady of Song" centennial tribute to Ella Fitzgerald and as a featured guest saxophonist in 2021 for "JOHN COLTRANE: A Love Supreme" at Jazz At Lincoln Center.

Héctor Mercado

is an accomplished and prolific NYC-based player of the cuatro, Puerto Rico's best-known stringed instrument used mostly to play musica jibara, the island's traditional country music. The cuatro has five (5) double-strings, allowing for heightened virtuosity. Although it is used throughout the year, the cuatro is mostly heard during Christmas time in the music of Plena, the Trova, the Aguinaldo and the Seis that were created in Puerto Rico. It is one of three instruments declared the "National Instrument of Puerto Rico" for its important cultural and historical significance

ABOUT THE HOSTOS CENTER FOR ARTS & CULTURE:

The Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture consists of a museum-grade art gallery, a 367-seat Repertory Theater, and a 900-seat Main Theater, presenting artists of national and international renown. It is easily accessible from Manhattan, Queens and New Jersey and is a mere 15 minutes by subway from midtown Manhattan. www.hostoscenter.org

ABOUT HOSTOS COMMUNITY COLLEGE:

Hostos Community College is an educational agent for change, transforming and improving the quality of life in the South Bronx and neighboring communities since 1968. Hostos serves as a gateway to intellectual growth and socioeconomic mobility, and a point of departure for lifelong learning, success in professional careers, and transfer to advanced higher education programs. Hostos Community College is part of CUNY, the nation's leading urban public university serving more than 480,000 students at 24 colleges. https://www.hostos.cuny.edu/