With a month to go before the Harare International Festival of the Arts kicks off, the stage has been set for this annual arts fete that is expected to rejuvenate the entertainment sector for a good six days.
A number of reputable artistes from different countries and regions are set to showcase their acts, and one of them is Chris Washburne.
Washburne is one of those rare musicians whose musical prowess cuts cross different styles and cultural borders. Early in his career, Washburne refused to be pigeon-holed into only jazz or classical, and has instead continually pursued a diverse path.
He is currently freelancing as a studio musician and performing trombone, bass trombone, tuba, didjeridu and percussion with various classical, jazz, rock and Latin groups in New York City.
He also tours extensively with various groups and has performed throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, Central America and the Caribbean.
In 1999 he completed his PhD in Ethnomusicology at Columbia University. He is currently the Associate Professor of Music and founding director of the Louis Armstrong Jazz Performance Programme at Columbia University in New York.
He has published numerous articles on jazz, Latin jazz and salsa. He is author of the book “Sounding Salsa: Performing Latin Music in New York” (2008) and editor of the book “Bad Music” (2004).
Washburne will be performing with his band SYOTOS (See You On The Other Side), who play Latin jazz with a global reach, steeped in a New York vibe, Afro-Cuban, funk, hip hop, gospel and house, it’s all in the mix.
This is sophisticated music that grooves so hard that you can’t help but get up and dance and scream.
SYOTOS, founded 20 years ago, features some of the best players on the New York scene. The band is one of the most popular Latin jazz groups in New York so make sure you don’t miss out on their performance at Hifa 2012!
