Afro-Peruvian Jazz Project Comes to the U.S.
By: Sarah Jae Leiber Jan. 21, 2020
Acclaimed drummer Oscar Quilca Barcelli has announced plans for a North American tour this spring for his band, the Afro-Peruvian Jazz Project.
The band will perform in Boston, New York, New Jersey, Los Angeles, Miami and other cities beginning in March. A full list of dates and venues will be released later this month.
"U.S. is where all the biggest opportunities for music are so I'm excited about this new tour," Barcelli said. "We're combining the rhythms of my country with Jazz and I believe that taking this into the U.S. would be a huge impact in the Jazz and Latin Jazz scene. We are making a new style which combines the traditional rhythms from Peru, especially the Afro-Peruvian rhythms and mixing them with Jazz."
The band is known for its unique jazz fusion sound that blends African rhythms with Latin jazz led by Barcelli's energetic drumming style that echoes his roots in jazz, rock, pop and rhythm and blues. The tour comes as the band is preparing to release its upcoming EP "Cachaça & Pisco," along with new singles this spring.
"The album's name comes from the two most famous drinks from Brazil (Cachaça) and Peru (Pisco)," Barcelli said. "It will be a combination of music from Brazil, Peru and the U.S. I believe it will be a great success to combine the percussion from these two South American countries with the Jazz format (horns sections, drums, piano, bass). It will be a variety of original compositions and arrangements of jazz standards in Brazilian/Peruvian rhythms."
Formed by Barcelli as a passion project in 2017, the band is the culmination of the performer's musical experience after gaining fame as drummer for The Jazz Groove Big Band, headed by Angel Irujo. He would go on to perform as a solo artist, releasing such hits as "Una Sola Fuerza," "Mãe, cadê o açaí?" and others.
The band is made up of an international group of musicians that include Anton Derevyanko (Russia) on tenor saxophone, Milena Casado (Spain) on trumpet; João Perrusi (Brazil), guitar; Kento Tsubosaka (Japan), Eduardo Diez (Colombia), bass; Kan Yanabe (Japan), percussion; and, Barcelli on drums.
Born and raised in Peru, Barcelli found his passion for music early on, first with the flute then the drums after attending a Metallica concert where he was impressed by the drumming. Having formed his own band, he began performing live as a teenager before attending the Peruvian University for Applied Sciences and then the Berklee College of Music in Boston where he graduated with a degree in musical performance.
He then embarked musical career in his native Peru with various rock and jazz bands before joining The Jazz Groove Big Band where he made his mark with innovative drumming style and ability to connect with audiences. He later set out on his own, recording several solo singles and then establishing the Afro-Peruvian Jazz Project and working with such acclaimed Latin performers as Sofia Carson, Rosalía, Juan Luis Guerra, Alejandro Sanz, Sebastian Yatra, Jesse & Joy, Ozuna and many others.
Fresh from performing at the Latin Grammys in November, Barcelli aims to record new music and expose new audiences to his band's unique sound.
"My mission is to take my music all over the world where people can be exposed to this fusion of music styles from Peru, Brazil and jazz that I am very proud of," Barcelli said. "I hope to be touring around Europe, South America and the U.S. in the next two years presenting a new wave of Latin Jazz music, challenging other musicians to keep innovating to help the Latin music community."
To learn more, follow Oscar Quilca Barcelli on Instagram at www.instagram.com/oscarqbdrums/.
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