top of page
Gastón Joya is an artist who seeks the global from his essence, from his work as an instrument’s player, songwriter and musical producer.
LATINJAZZNET
Mar 30, 2019
Gaston Joya received the Order for Cuba’s National Culture (2017) with other musicians and cultural promoters, for "the excellence of their artistic results and their consequent commitment to the most endearing values of Cuban culture as an expression of our national identity". With just 31 years old, he not only received this honorable mention in his country, he is considered a virtuoso of the bass, and the successor of Cachao, one of cuban musical legends of all times, whom was his maestro.
Gaston has recorded and been a member of groups led by luminaries of traditional Cuban music and jazz, such as: Chucho Valdés and his Afrocuban Messengers ( they obtained a Grammy nomination with the Border-Free album and won in the Latin Jazz category with the album Tributo to Irakere), Omara Portuondo and Ernan Lopez- Nussa. He has shared on stage and/or recorded with artists such as: Leo Brower, Joe Lovano, Buena Vista Social Club, Eliades Ochoa, Síntesis, Silvio Rodriguez, Pablo Milanes, João Donato, Mark Levine ,Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Orchestra, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Alfredo Rodriguez, Calle 13, Dayme Arocena, Brussels Philharmonic, Cuba’s National Symphonic Orchestra, Sting, among others.
Born in Guanabacoa, Havana City, he comes from a family of artists. He started playing piano when he was only four years old and through his father, who was a double bass player.
In 2006, being 19 years old, he entered the international contest for young jazz musicians, presided by Chucho Valdes, where Gaston won the first place in the category of interpretation. He was the first double bass player receiving that award since the creation of the event. Thanks to that he had the opportunity to record his first album, with Colibri Label, “Gastón Joya” Phonogram, which had the following awards: best jazz album, recording and mastering and best debut album at the international contest Cubadisco.
Gastón Joya quickly became the avant-garde of Cuban bass players and young jazz musicians.
In 2010 he was contacted by the Montuno agency, which represents artists such as Buena Vista Social Club, Jack deJohnette, among others, to work along the Cuban Music Legend Omara Portuondo, both in recordings and tours around the world. Until today, they still collaborating together.
In spite of leaning towards Cuban tradition at the time, he never got apart from chamber music, as he didn’t either from alternative music productions inside and out the Island. He had the chance of recording and sharing several scenarios with extraordinary musicians such as Leo Brower, guitar player, songwriter and orchestra director, winner of multiple awards, a vanguard representative of contemporary music.
In 2011, he received the call from the master Chucho Valdes to be part of his Afrocuban Messengers band, along which they recorded the Border Free album, nominated for a Grammy Award in 2013. After that work, Gaston started a close musical relationship, touring around the world, getting to know and experimenting a fundamental part of Cuban jazz history. In 2016, Chucho invited him to be a member of a homage to the emblematic Irakere band. After a long tour, they made a live album with which they won the Grammy in 2017.
Gastón Joya currently represents the avant-garde of double bass on the music and Cuban jazz. Heir of the musical roots of his hometown, Guanabacoa, his work distinguish him for setting a link between concert music and popular music.
Gastón Joya is an artist who seeks the global from his essence, from his work as an instruments player, songwriter and musical producer.
Gaston has recorded and been a member of groups led by luminaries of traditional Cuban music and jazz, such as: Chucho Valdés and his Afrocuban Messengers ( they obtained a Grammy nomination with the Border-Free album and won in the Latin Jazz category with the album Tributo to Irakere), Omara Portuondo and Ernan Lopez- Nussa. He has shared on stage and/or recorded with artists such as: Leo Brower, Joe Lovano, Buena Vista Social Club, Eliades Ochoa, Síntesis, Silvio Rodriguez, Pablo Milanes, João Donato, Mark Levine ,Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Orchestra, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Alfredo Rodriguez, Calle 13, Dayme Arocena, Brussels Philharmonic, Cuba’s National Symphonic Orchestra, Sting, among others.
Born in Guanabacoa, Havana City, he comes from a family of artists. He started playing piano when he was only four years old and through his father, who was a double bass player.
In 2006, being 19 years old, he entered the international contest for young jazz musicians, presided by Chucho Valdes, where Gaston won the first place in the category of interpretation. He was the first double bass player receiving that award since the creation of the event. Thanks to that he had the opportunity to record his first album, with Colibri Label, “Gastón Joya” Phonogram, which had the following awards: best jazz album, recording and mastering and best debut album at the international contest Cubadisco.
Gastón Joya quickly became the avant-garde of Cuban bass players and young jazz musicians.
In 2010 he was contacted by the Montuno agency, which represents artists such as Buena Vista Social Club, Jack deJohnette, among others, to work along the Cuban Music Legend Omara Portuondo, both in recordings and tours around the world. Until today, they still collaborating together.
In spite of leaning towards Cuban tradition at the time, he never got apart from chamber music, as he didn’t either from alternative music productions inside and out the Island. He had the chance of recording and sharing several scenarios with extraordinary musicians such as Leo Brower, guitar player, songwriter and orchestra director, winner of multiple awards, a vanguard representative of contemporary music.
In 2011, he received the call from the master Chucho Valdes to be part of his Afrocuban Messengers band, along which they recorded the Border Free album, nominated for a Grammy Award in 2013. After that work, Gaston started a close musical relationship, touring around the world, getting to know and experimenting a fundamental part of Cuban jazz history. In 2016, Chucho invited him to be a member of a homage to the emblematic Irakere band. After a long tour, they made a live album with which they won the Grammy in 2017.
Gastón Joya currently represents the avant-garde of double bass on the music and Cuban jazz. Heir of the musical roots of his hometown, Guanabacoa, his work distinguish him for setting a link between concert music and popular music.
Gastón Joya is an artist who seeks the global from his essence, from his work as an instruments player, songwriter and musical producer.
Yeisy Rojas
Yeisy Rojas is a singer, violinist and composer from Cuba.
Yeisy Rojas draws inspiration from the intertwining musical legacies of her native Cuba. Approaching jazz, traditional Cuban music and classical influences with an innate sense of rhythm. At the age of 7 she was accepted into one of the country’s prestigious music schools, The National Art School of Cuba, where she studied within the Western classical music tradition. After finishing 11 years of studies, she began to work at the Opera House in Havana, while also working as an accompanying pianist in the National Ballet of Cuba. Meanwhile, she began to play traditional cuban music and latin jazz. Not long after, she moved to Norway to study jazz violin at the Conservatory of Kristiansand. During the five years studying her bachelor and master in Jazz violin, she founded her own latin jazz quintet, where she sings, plays the violin and compose.
Yeisy Rojas has performing at a variety of venues like The Opera House in Havanna, Chat Noir in Oslo, Kilden konserthus in Kristiansand, Centralteatret in Oslo, Fabrica de Arte in Havanna, Bab Llo jazz club in Paris.
She has worked with artists like Rolando Luna, Gaston Joya, Rodney Barreto, Garcia, and Adel Gonzales (musicians from the Chucho Valdes band, Irakere)
Yeisy Rojas draws inspiration from the intertwining musical legacies of her native Cuba. Approaching jazz, traditional Cuban music and classical influences with an innate sense of rhythm. At the age of 7 she was accepted into one of the country’s prestigious music schools, The National Art School of Cuba, where she studied within the Western classical music tradition. After finishing 11 years of studies, she began to work at the Opera House in Havana, while also working as an accompanying pianist in the National Ballet of Cuba. Meanwhile, she began to play traditional cuban music and latin jazz. Not long after, she moved to Norway to study jazz violin at the Conservatory of Kristiansand. During the five years studying her bachelor and master in Jazz violin, she founded her own latin jazz quintet, where she sings, plays the violin and compose.
Yeisy Rojas has performing at a variety of venues like The Opera House in Havanna, Chat Noir in Oslo, Kilden konserthus in Kristiansand, Centralteatret in Oslo, Fabrica de Arte in Havanna, Bab Llo jazz club in Paris.
She has worked with artists like Rolando Luna, Gaston Joya, Rodney Barreto, Garcia, and Adel Gonzales (musicians from the Chucho Valdes band, Irakere)
Celia Jimenez
Celia Jimenez is a singer and bass player from Cuba, living in United States. She was nominated to 60th Annual Grammy Awards in 2017working with the saxophonist Jane Bunnet and the band Maqueuque.
Artists
bottom of page