The percussionist Miguel Cruz came to Estonia not only to perform a concert, but to run a workshop to music students and artists. He spent five days with them, playing different instruments in Latin jazz style.<\/p>\n
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After the amazing gig, where the musicians were popping up and out from the stage, making the sun shine through the beats of the conga, I could talk with the protagonist of this event.<\/p>\n
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How have your five days been here in Estonia? How was the workshop?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n To be honest, I\u2019m quite surprised that they invited me to Estonia. I have been touring in other European countries, but not in the North. That\u2019s why I was thinking: \u201cWhat will I do there?\u201d because of the difference of culture between Latin-American and northern Europe. However, I was astonished by the high level of Latin rhythms of the musicians and the flavor that they could give to the melodies that we were creating.\u00a0<\/p>\n Even though my English is not that good, and only a few could speak some Spanish, the music is a language itself, it doesn\u2019t have words but feelings. Do Re Mi\u2026 are the same in China, Estonia and Mexico.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n How come that you were invited to give these lessons here? How did you get the connections from so far away?<\/strong><\/p>\n Jaak Soo\u00e4\u00e4r was the person who asked me to come to Estonia with this project. He knew about my work through Luc Delannoy, a Belgium writer specialist in Latin music history. He lived in Mexico and is also connected with Estonia. We have been friends for ages and he gave my contact to him. He recommended me as a guest teacher for this special occasion.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Do you think that you could do something similar in Mexico? Invite some of the artists from this workshop to go to Chiapas?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Of course! Actually, I am interested in bringing some of the students from Estonia to the University of Chiapas, where I am the director of jazz music. Who knows, maybe we can open a bidirectional exchange.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n One of my favorite moments during the concert was the song with the cajones. It was one of the most cheerful pieces with Latin rhythms. Did you make it during the workshop this week?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n This is actually a composition of mine. The original one is with cajones and cajones jarocho, that\u2019s why I called it \u201cSon Buler\u00edas\u201d, because there\u2019s a transition between the Spanish buler\u00eda and the Mexican son jarocho, like in the history. Although, this time we did a cover of it, I wanted it to be like a trip to Spain, Mexico and Cuba.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n You\u2019ve been touring all around America, but you haven\u2019t come to Europe that much. How come that a big artist like you doesn\u2019t come here so often?<\/strong><\/p>\n I have come before with one of the bands that made me travel a lot, Narimbo. This is a chiapaneca band, from the state in the south of Mexico called Chiapas, where the typical instrument is the marimba. Our music is a fusion between Latin jazz and the traditional sound of this regional instrument.<\/p>\n It was with them that I\u2019ve been touring in a few countries in the Old Continent. We went to a Festival in Lliria, close to Valencia, where I also ran a workshop about percussions. I have also been to Croatia, Zagreb, and now here. It is true that I haven\u2019t come so much, but in this group there are nine musicians and it\u2019s quite complicated and expensive to travel so far away from home with so many people.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n You have played with big artists such as Celia Cruz, Paquito D\u2019Rivera and Miguel Bos\u00e9. Celia Cruz and Paquito D\u2019Rivera have the Latin rhythm in their tunes, but Miguel Bos\u00e9 is more pop. How was playing with this Spanish singer?<\/strong><\/p>\n It was surprising! I was invited by another musician, but I didn\u2019t know what instrument I had to play, but he said: \u201cNo worries, you will play the conga\u201d. That made me freak out, I know Miguel Bos\u00e9 by his music, but not for the conga.\u00a0<\/p>\n When I arrived to the practice, there was a small symphony orchestra and I had to lead the symphonic percussion.<\/p>\n The experience was amazing and Miguel and all the other musicians were great. The project was interesting, it wasn\u2019t the typical pop music that he usually sings.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n If you had to choose your favorite instrument, which one would it be?<\/strong><\/p>\n Well, I don\u2019t have a favorite instrument, but I feel more comfortable with percussion instruments, especially the palmar ones.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The palmar ones?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Yes, the ones you need to use your palm in order to play, not sticks. The ones that I like more are the conga, yembe, bongo and tambourine battan. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n One of the continents that is most influenced by the percussion in music is Africa, have you ever thought of doing any Afro-Latin fusion?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Yes, I actually had one project with that aim. In Xalapa we created a group called Repercute. We used to play our own compositions with African and Latin-American influence.<\/p>\n We had songs with balafon, marimba and battan. It was mainly Latin music with African touch.\u00a0<\/p>\n Unfortunately, we couldn\u2019t continue, because it was difficult to combine with our current jobs by that time. I would love to do something similar soon, though.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n You have played in a symphony orchestra, done Afro-Latin music, traditional Mexican music from Chiapas and Cuban music as well. Have you done something else that should be mentioned?<\/strong><\/p>\n (Laughs) Yes, I have done so many different things. But there\u2019s something else that I did, I took part in the Oasis Jazz U, the one which was dedicated to Paco de Luc\u00eda. I had the honor of playing with Alain P\u00e9rez, I\u2019m glad that Paquito D\u2019Rivera invited me, because it was such a nice experience.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I saw that you don\u2019t have an official website or a Facebook page. Despite of being out of the social media and marketing, it seems that you don\u2019t need it at all, because you still have a lot of offers. How do you manage to be in touch with the big artists and receiving new proposals?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00cdjole! That\u2019s true. I do have a Facebook account, but it\u2019s private one and I only use it to be in touch with my closest people. I don\u2019t know, I guess that it\u2019s the mouth-to-mouth. Fortunately, I know a lot of artists from jazz clubs, and they are the ones that recommend me. That\u2019s how I start to collaborate with other musicians. Just a few days ago, another colleague talked to me about a Jazz Festival in Finland. I wish I could go, it sounds very interesting and once I\u2019ve seen how the audience form the North is, I want to keep doing music up here. In spite of the cold weather, they are warm people. New projects bring me more new projects.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t have a website or a Facebook page for professional purposes, but I have email, telephone, and also pigeon post (laughs). There\u2019s always a way to be in touch with me for those who want to.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n To conclude this interview, what are your next projects?<\/strong><\/p>\n To keep making jazz in Chiapas. Last year we won the competition in the International Conference of Percussion, so next year we will hold the event together with the University of Juarez de Tabasco. We will receive twenty five different schools from America.\u00a0<\/p>\n Besides that, I don\u2019t have more big projects, maybe because I don\u2019t have Facebook (laughs). I know that Paquito is planning a new tour, so let\u2019s see how far we\u2019ll go.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Friday, 4th of December 2015 at NO99<\/p>\n Miguel Cruz \u2013 percussion<\/p>\n Jaak Soo\u00e4\u00e4r \u2013 guitar<\/p>\n Allan J\u00e4rve \u2013 trumpet<\/p>\n Ingvar Leerimaa \u2013 trombone<\/p>\n Martin Kuusk \u2013 saxophone<\/p>\n Janno Trump \u2013 bass<\/p>\n Aleksandra Kremenetski \u2013 percussion<\/p>\n Reigo Ahven \u2013 percussion<\/p>\n Hans Kurvits \u2013 percussion<\/p>\n Ott Adamson \u2013 percussion<\/p>\n Mihhail Nikitin – percussion<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n"},"yoast_head":"\n