Edmar Castañeda (Cultural Connections)

Saturday, October 5, 2024 at 7:00 PM

Cultural Connections: At the MAC, we’re bringing the world to you! Join us for a series of events where you will experience multicultural music, film, and dance. Build connections in your culture or immerse yourself in new experiences as we offer an expressive mosaic of passionate artists and the arts.

Upon arriving in the United States in 1994, Colombian-born Edmar Castañeda has made a name for himself as the preeminent jazz harp virtuoso. Castañeda brings forth a brilliance that beautifully merges the jazz tradition with a diverse set of styles and genres while bringing unbridled attention to a somewhat unfamiliar instrument: the harp. Singlehandedly, Castañeda has cemented the harp’s place in jazz with innovative technique and heartfelt creativity from a wealth of formidable collaborations with music titans such as Wynyton Marsalis, Bela Fleck, John Scofield, Ricki Lee Jones, Hiromi, Pedrito Martinez, Marcus Miller, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Ivan Lins, The Yellowjackets, Paco De Lucia, and Paquito D’Rivera. In the same breath as the Yo-Yo Ma’s of the world, Castañeda fearlessly stuns audiences, musicians, and critics alike with his incredible talents as a player and composer. NPR’s “Fresh Air” touts, “...his technique is the real astonishment. Castañeda juggles lead, rhythm and bass lines, using a variety of hard and soft string attacks to keep those voices distinct — all without giving up the groove...His amazing technique...raises the bar for every harpist.” The New York Times notes, “...Castaneda... engage[s]modern jazz in ways that honor...cultural origins, and [he has] the capacity to astonish by virtue of [his]fingerstyle technique.” Moses Sumney highlights his “5 Favorite NPR 'Tiny Desk Concerts'” and says, “My brain cracked open when I first saw this. Some classical instruments are so ingrained in our heads for sounding one way; Edmar restructures what we know of harp, defiantly expanding the bounds of the instrument.” Castañeda follows up seven acclaimed albums (Cuarto de Colores; Entre Cuerdas; Double Portion; Live at the Jazz Standard; Live In Montreal; Harp vs. Harp; Family ) with his latest recording project, Viento Sur, with a nine-person ensemble of acclaimed global musicians from Switzerland, Brazil, Cuba, Israel, Chile, USA, Argentina, and Colombia. An array of compositions on Viento Sur are commissioned by American Chamber Music from the “New Jazz Works Grant.” Additionally, Castañeda's performance was heard in Disney's Encanto, which features original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Castañeda acts on the soundtrack and serves as music consultant on Encanto. Don't miss the opportunity hear from one of the most dynamic contemporary jazz performers of our time! More about Edmar