NEWS RELEASE
ORILLIA CENTRE FOR ARTS + CULTURE
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Jane Bunnett and Maqueque are On Firm Ground with their third release in just five years.
This all-female collective, led by Jane Bunnett, veteran jazz icon, soprano saxophone player, flautist, composer and proud Canadian, will be performing at St. Paul’s Centre on Friday, Nov. 1.
“I have tried to involve Jane Bunnett for a few years in the Orillia Centre performances especially after their Grammy nomination in 2018, but they are in demand around the world,” said Lance Anderson, artistic director music, the Orillia Centre.
Bunnett has been travelling to Cuba for over 30 years, and her love for Cuban jazz compelled her to put together a stellar band of Cuban women, forming Maqueque.
“They are some of the top players from an island that has produced many of the finest jazz and Afro Cuban musicians in the world,” said Anderson. “Maqueque will bring a slice of Cuba to Orillia.”
Prior to recording On Firm Ground, the group went from strength to strength touring contantly from Canada’ s Yukon to Colombia, Brazil, Cuba, and Panama to major U.S. Jazz festivals and clubs, including Newport, Monterey, Saratoga, Birdland, and Lincoln Center.
“Jane Bunnett and Maqueque play a form of Afro-Cuban music that has its feet firmly in jazz and world music,” said Anderson. “Jane’s fluid solos on saxophone and flute, and the wonderful rhythmic playing from the rest of the ensemble, belie their youth.
“The energy they create bothy vocally and with their instruments is infectious, lifeaffirming and of the highest artistic level,” he added.
Show tickets are available online at orilliacentre.com or in downtown Orillia at Alleycats Music & Art and Manticore Books.
For more information on other upcoming Orillia Centre programs, visit orilliacentre.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram using the handle @OrilliaCentre. For special group rates, contact Michael Martyn, General Manager, Orillia Centre, at michael. [email protected].
The Orillia Centre for Arts + Culture is a registered charity that began its activities in 2015 in the Orillia and area. Orillia Centre is committed to, and firmly believes in, providing Orillia and area with experiences in contemporary arts.
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