Yosvany Terry with Ye-dé-gbé & the Afro-Caribbean Legacy
Projects
With
his new suite of songs, Ye-dé-gbé and the Afro-Caribbean Legacy,
Yosvany Terry puts his audience on a swivel, looking forward while also
looking back. In the West African Fon language, Ye-dé-gbé means 'with
the approval of all the major forces.' The Cuban-born composer and
saxophonist chose Ye-dé-gbé as the name of his latest jazz ensemble
project, which enfuses the influences of the Afro-Caribbean Arará
culture with the American jazz form. The Arará traditions, originating
in Dahomey (now Benin), have been carried down and disseminated by the
West African diaspora in the Caribbean and the Americas. Terry's
compositions incorporate elements of Arará rhythms into his angular
modern jazz writing.
The music combines percussive layers with call-and-response chants and modern jazz soloing. Terry also gives credit to Bay Area percussionist Sandy Perez as a key element in the development of the suite, which receives its West Coast premiere in a series of Bay Area performances by Perez and his Afro-Caribbean Legacy band. Joining them are some of today's brightest stars of Afro-Carribbean, West African, and jazz music, including Roman Diaz (drums), Dominic Kanza (guitar), Pedro Martinez (percussion), Roman Diaz (percussion), Osmany Paredes (piano), Justin Brown (drums), dancer Felix "Pupi" Insua (dancer), and Yunior Terry (bass).
Terry's personal journey traversing his cultural and musical mosaic began in Camaguey, Cuba. His father, Eladio "Don Pancho" Terry, a violinist and leading chekeré player, was his first music instructor. Terry received his classical training at National School of Art and Amadeo Roldan Conservatory. Terry's grandmother, Basilia Leon Charles, a Haitian who can trace her roots back to Dahomey, provided him his link to the Arará culture, including the rituals of the Vodou religion. Terry and his family are devout practitioners.
Terry's innovative new project was conceived though a commission by the Stanford Jazz Workshop and has been supported by New York State Music Fund, a fund created specifically to expose New York State residents to diverse artists and non "radio-friendly" musical styles like Terry's project.
The music combines percussive layers with call-and-response chants and modern jazz soloing. Terry also gives credit to Bay Area percussionist Sandy Perez as a key element in the development of the suite, which receives its West Coast premiere in a series of Bay Area performances by Perez and his Afro-Caribbean Legacy band. Joining them are some of today's brightest stars of Afro-Carribbean, West African, and jazz music, including Roman Diaz (drums), Dominic Kanza (guitar), Pedro Martinez (percussion), Roman Diaz (percussion), Osmany Paredes (piano), Justin Brown (drums), dancer Felix "Pupi" Insua (dancer), and Yunior Terry (bass).
Terry's personal journey traversing his cultural and musical mosaic began in Camaguey, Cuba. His father, Eladio "Don Pancho" Terry, a violinist and leading chekeré player, was his first music instructor. Terry received his classical training at National School of Art and Amadeo Roldan Conservatory. Terry's grandmother, Basilia Leon Charles, a Haitian who can trace her roots back to Dahomey, provided him his link to the Arará culture, including the rituals of the Vodou religion. Terry and his family are devout practitioners.
Terry's innovative new project was conceived though a commission by the Stanford Jazz Workshop and has been supported by New York State Music Fund, a fund created specifically to expose New York State residents to diverse artists and non "radio-friendly" musical styles like Terry's project.
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