#4662, With Omar Sosa and Peter Apfelbaum

New Sounds | Sep 7, 2024

Cuban-born pianist Omar Sosa has traveled and collaborated with musicians all over the world. His musical signature is in his lyrical piano pieces, sometimes with electronics, solo, or with others. His newest band is Quarteto Americanos, featuring Bay Area artists Josh Jones on drums, Peter Apfelbaum on reeds, and Cuban bassist Ernesto Mazar Kindelán. Apfelbaum and Sosa play duo music in-studio, and together, they survey the musical landscape that Omar Sosa has created since the 1990’s.

Omar Sosa says that Covid brought the quartet together, and that the players have known each other since the 1990’s. Apfelbaum, who plays with Kamikaze Ground Crew, the Millennial Territory Orchestra, and the Heiroglyphics Ensemble, among others, is also a pianist, and during the interview appreciates Omar Sosa’s playing aloud, complementing his folk leanings, but also the spaces that he creates. Sosa also confesses to having been super productive during the lockdown times, out of fear, to get the music out of his head before he heard of yet another musical figure lost to Covid. Listen as the Apfelbaum and Sosa improvise a piece, and play with the key of D, one of Sosa’s favorites.

Also, listen to recorded music Sosa made with Rajery, who plays the valiha – a zither from Madagascar, built around a bamboo tube and traditionally used to summon spirits. There’s also a piece from the dreamy record, SUBA, made with Senegalese kora master Seckou Keita accompanied by Venezuelan percussionist Gustavo Ovalles. Plus, listen to yet another Omar Sosa collaboration, this time with Italian trumpet and flugelhorn player, Paolo Fresu, and more. - Caryn Havlik

Program #4662, With Omar Sosa and Peter Apfelbaum, In-Studio (First aired 9/15/2022)

ARTIST: Omar Sosa
WORK: Sunset [:30]
RECORDING: Calma
SOURCE: Otá Records
INFO: omarsosa.com

ARTIST: Omar Sosa and Rajery
WORK: Veloma E [:30]
RECORDING: An East African Journey
SOURCE: Otá Records
INFO: omarsosa.com

ARTIST: Omar Sosa and Peter Apfelbaum (Quarteto Americanos)
WORK: umba kondo [5:47]
RECORDING: Live, Sept. 2022
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available.
INFO: omarsosa.com

ARTIST: Omar Sosa & Seckou Keita
WORK: 2020 Visions [3:40]
RECORDING: SUBA
SOURCE: bendegedig
INFO: https://naxos.lnk.to/SUBAEL

ARTIST: Omar Sosa and Peter Apfelbaum (Quarteto Americanos)
WORK: Move in D [4:18]
RECORDING: Live, Sept. 2022
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available.
INFO: omarsosa.com

ARTIST: Omar Sosa and Paolo Fresu
WORK: Old D Blues [6:34]
RECORDING: Alma
SOURCE: Otá Records
INFO: omarsosa.com

ARTIST: Omar Sosa and Rajery
WORK: Tsiaro Tsara (Good Memories) [4:07]
RECORDING: An East African Journey
SOURCE: Otá Records
INFO: omarsosa.com

ARTIST: Omar Sosa and Peter Apfelbaum (Quarteto Americanos)
WORK: Mis Tres Notas [10:05]
RECORDING: Live, Sept. 2022
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available.
INFO: omarsosa.com

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