JoJazz 2017 Day 1 Competition, Solistas Mayores (Older Soloists)
November 16 (afternoon) 2017
Sala Avenida, La Habana, Cuba
Photos and commentary by Bill Tilford, all rights reserved

Sala Avenida, site of the competition. 


ENGLISH:  This portion of the competition, which took place during the afternoon, was for soloists of 21 to 30 years of age.  They were permitted to be accompanied by a group that did not exceed eight musicians with no age limits on the accompanists, and improvisations were permitted only for the contestant.   Each soloist was required to interpret two themes, one a Jazz "standard", and the other free choice.    Some of the most commonly-recognized Jazz standards in this session were Groovin High, Donna Lee, My Funny Valentine, All the Things You Are, Tenderly, which included some scat singing.and In a Parisian Thoroughfare.  There were also more elements of avant garde and Free Jazz in some of the interpretations than one would have heard in previous years.   The musicians tell me that this is due to more information about that style coming to the island. The contestants were introduced by Roxana Coz, a musicologist from the National Center of Popular Music (CNMP).   
ESPAÑOL: Esta parte de la competencia, que tuvo lugar durante la mañana, fue para solistas de entre 21 y 30 años de edad. Se les permitió estar acompañados por un grupo que no excedía ocho músicos sin límite de edad para los acompañantes, y las improvisaciones solo se permitieron para el concursante. A cada solista se le pidió que interpretara dos temas, uno un "estándar" de Jazz y el otro de libre elección. Algunos de los estándares de Jazz más comúnmente reconocidos en esta sesión fueron:  Groovin' High, Donna Lee, My Funny Valentine, All the Things You Are, Tenderly, que incorporó scateando, y In a Parisian Thoroughfare.     También hubo más elementos de avant garde y Free Jazz en algunas de las interpretaciones que uno habría escuchado en años anteriores. Los músicos me dicen que esto se debe a más información sobre ese estilo que viene a la isla.
Los concursantes fueron presentados por Roxana Coz, musicóloga del Centro Nacional de Música Popular (CNMP)

The winners, which were announced on Sunday, November 19,  were:

1st Place (shared):  Pablo Cruz Placer (saxophonist, la Habana)

1st  Place (shared):  Alexey León (saxophonist, Spain)

2nd Place: Marcos Morales Valdés  (percussionist, Matanzas/ISA)

3rd Place:  Dayán Quintero (saxophonist, ISA)

Mention (shared): Rasiel Aldama Chiroles (trumpeter, La Habana)

Mention (shared) Carlos Ángel Valdés Carbonell (vocalist, La Habana) 

ENGLISH:  Click on the thumbnails below to view photos of the contestants.  Various changes to the printed order took place throughout the competition.   If there is an error in the list shown below, any corrections may be sent to bill.tilford@timba.com. 
ESPAÑOL:  Haga clic en las miniaturas que siguen para ver las fotos de los concursantes. Pasaron algunos cambios de las listas impresas de concursantes durante toda la competencia. Si hay algún error en la lista publicada aquí, las correcciones se pueden enviar a bill.tilford@timba.com

Solistas Mayores (older soloists)

Row 1:  Janet Rodriguez Pino (vibraphone) with Lester Domiínguez (drums), Yasel Muñoz (flute) and unnamed bassist.  --from La Habana
Row 2-3. Dayan Quintero Martín (saxophone) with Miguel Ángel García (piano), Israel A. Figueredo (tenor sax), Adrian Estévez (piano), Samuel Burgos (bass), Marcos Morales (drums) - from La Habana; Pablo Cruz Placer (sax) with Lino D. Piquero Bueno (bass) -- from La Habana (ISA)
Row 4:  Carlos Ángel Valdés Carbonell (vocalist) with Rodolfo Argudin Justiz (piano), Juan Carlos Rojas (drums), Lázaro Rivero (bass) - from La Habana  
Row 5:  Mirianne Martinez Ramos (vocalist) with Eduardo Duharte (percussion), Daril Eduardo Duharte (sax), Jorge Ernesto Díaz (piano), José Raúl Machado (bass), Alejandro Carlos Quintana (drums) - from Sancti Spiritus 
Rows 6-7:  Rasiel Aldama Chiroles (trumpet) with Marcos Morales (percussion), Rafael Aldama (bass), Yasel Muñoz (flute), Adrián Estévez (piano) - from La Habana (ISA); Jorge Daniel Ruiz Peña "Fonky" (oboe) with Miguel Ángel García (piano) and Alejandro González (bass)  - from La Habana (ISA) 
Row 8:  Marcos Morales Valdés (drums) with Samuel Burgos (bass), Adrian Estevez (piano), Yasel Muñoz (flute), Rasiel Aldama (trumpet) - from Matanzas 
Row 9:  Daril Eduardo Duharte (sax), Jorge Ernesto Díaz Valdés (piano), José Raúl Machado Arias (bass) - all from Sancti Spiritus
Row 10:   Alexey León (sax) with Miguel Ángel García (piano), Samuel Burgos (bass), Kervin Barreto (trumpet) and Marcos Morales (drums)