Hilario Durán’s ” Con Tumbao” An all Cuban Experience

Hilario Duran, Cuba (piano) is considered one of Cuba’s premier exponents of Latin Jazz. Hilario is a multi-Canadian Juno Award winner and nominee; an American Grammy nominee; a multi-Canadian National Jazz Award winner & nominee; and a proud recipient of the 2007 Chico O’Farrill Lifetime Achievement Award, from Latin Jazz U.S.A., for his outstanding contributions to Afro-Cuban Jazz and Latin Jazz. A C.S.A. Nominee 2021 Achievement in Music Original Song – The Cuban Film; winner of the Louis Applebaum Composers Award.

His first work as a professional musician was Cuba’s Los Papa Cun-Cun Ensemble. Later, in the ’70s, he was Chucho Valdés’ chosen successor in Cuba’s most modern big band, ‘Orquesta Cubana de Música Moderna.’ Hilario was also a pianist, arranger, and composer of the Arturo Sandoval Group. In 1990 Duran formed his band Perspectiva with Arturo’s band’s remaining members when Sandoval immigrated to the U.S. After making his mark in Cuba, Duran continued to essay his skills as a pianist, producer, composer, arranger and musical director of remarkable virtuosity.

Hilario is considered one of Cuba’s premier exponents of Latin Jazz.

Amhed Mitchel, Cuba (drums). His signature is based on his Afro-Cuban roots, music that came back from Africa and is still evolving today. Ahmed integrates his knowledge into his music style to draw a wide range of rhythms. One of the best moments of Mitchel’s musical career was when he was picked from a group of musicians to perform at the closing date of the Tokyo Jazz Festival 2004. He performed as part of the “Super Unit” orchestra with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Dianne Reeves, Leonel Lueke and Dave Holland. Ahmed also performed in the Grammy Award Nominated CD featuring bass player Carlos Del Puerto.

Jorge Luis Torres ‘Papiosco, Cuba (congas) is a self-taught musician, a child prodigy who began playing the percussion instrument at the age of three; by the age of 12, he was picked from a group of children to perform with the master conguero Tatagüines. Later, Papiosco started his formal studies at the conservatories of Music Guillermo Tomas and later at Amadeo Roldan in Havana, Cuba. He has been very fortunate to perform with such great musicians and bands from Cuba and around the world in scenarios such as North Sea, Montreux, Umbria, Jazz Vienne and Bern jazz festivals, to name a few. Papiosco has been performing with the prestigious Cuban band “Cubanismos,” Jane Bunnett, and Hilario Duran, among others.

Yoser Rodriguez, Cuba (bass) Bassist extraordinaire Yoser Rodriguez is not simply another Cuban musician naturalized in Canada; he is a fine musician making a serious contribution to the music he was brought up to love and play. Originally trained as a classical guitarist at the renowned Guillermo Tomas Institute in Havana, Cuba Yoser studied bass with Carlos del Puerto and toured Cuba with Fiebre Latina before moving to Toronto in 2003. He wasted no time establishing his reputation as a go-to sideman and a versatile, communicative performer proficient on electric, upright, and baby basses.