Papo Vázquez Leads Third Annual Holiday Jazz & Latin Jazz Parranda

The Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture will present Holiday Jazz & Latin Jazz Parranda for its third winter season! Grammy-nominated and NEA Master Artist Papo Vázquez leads his world-class ensemble with a stellar lineup of special guest artists on Sunday, December 15, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. Joining him to bring the spirit of the holidays to life are Camille Thurman, the renowned vocalist and saxophonist, Rodney Jones the masterful jazz guitarist. Also joining them is Alvin Medina, the celebrated performer of the Puerto Rican Cuatro instrument. This special Sunday afternoon concert will feature holiday favorites, new arrangements, Latin jazz-infused holiday songs, the traditional Puerto Rican "Aguinaldo" songs and much more!

This family friendly, all-ages concert will be held at the Repertory Theater of Hostos Community College, located at 450 Grand Concourse (at 149th Street) in the Bronx. Tickets are $10 Regular, $8 for Seniors and $5 for Students/Children. Hostos Community College is easily accessible by public transportation (IRT 2, 4, 5 Trains and Bronx Bx1, Bx2, Bx19 buses to 149th Street & Grand Concourse) or by car (Exit 3 off the Major Deegan Expressway - I-87).

Papo Vázquez' 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.

The 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.

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, and 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.

Rodney Jones was born in 1956 in New Haven, Connecticut and studied at the City College of New York. He started playing the guitar at age six. In 1976, at the age of twenty, he began touring with Dizzy Gillespie. His first solo album, The Liberation of Contemporary Jazz Guitar, was released in 1977. He joined the Maceo Parker Band in 1989 for three years. In 2001, he was hired as a professor at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City. In 2007, he joined the faculty of The Juilliard School as a professor of jazz guitar studies. Jones also served as the staff guitarist for the Rosie O'Donnell Show from 1996 to 2002 and the house guitarist for Showtime at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem for nine years. He has toured internationally and performed and recorded with James Brown, Lena Horne, Quincy Jones, Elvin Jones, Kenny Burrell, Stan Getz, Christian McBride, Stevie Wonder, among many other luminaries. His numerous recordings include Articulation (1978), Soul Manifesto (2001), and The Beloved (2017).

Alvin Medina, a Philadelphia native, is a gifted musician renowned for his mastery of the Puerto Rican cuatro. He began his musical journey at the tender age of six, honing his skills to become a celebrated performer. In addition to the cuatro, Alvin is proficient in guitar, Cuban tres, and bass. Known for his captivating style, he has graced both live stages and recording studios. His repertoire encompasses both Puerto Rican cuatro and guitar, demonstrating his versatility. Alvin also imparts his musical knowledge through lessons, likely including the Puerto Rican cuatro, though specific details about his teaching in Orlando are currently unavailable.