Sebastián Cruz Quartet / New Colombian Songwriting (3)

Sebastián Cruz Quartet / New Colombian Songwriting

Presented by Terraza 7. 

Date: Tuesday, May 14th 2024

Time: 8:00 pm.

Admission: $15: Cover charge for Mezzanine.

Featuring:

• Sebastián Cruz, voice, guitar, compositions
•  Alejandro Flórez, guitar and live computer
• Stomu Takeishi, bass
• Michael W. Davis, drums

About Sebastián Cruz:

“Everything sounds spontaneous for Sebastian Cruz. From an overwhelming stillness to an uncontrollable “descarga.” Cruz shows influences from Peregoyo, el Burro Mocho, to Bill Frisell and Marc Ribot” Luis Daniel Vega, Rolling Stone

“Undoubtedly, Sebastian Cruz’s was among the most interesting projects (at the festival). His style reflects the influence of rock, jazz, and traditional Colombian music that have always marked his approach and defined his musical identity. His proposal was the most assertive, with a presentation full of urban landscapes and virtuosity.” Andrea Baquero, Arcadia

Colombian singer-songwriter and guitarist Sebastian Cruz has been at the forefront of the new Colombian music movement since arriving in NY in 1997. He has contributed his unique sound full of rhythmic ingenuity and melodic inventiveness, as well as his gift for visual and evocative lyrics in seminal projects covering the range from very traditional to highly experimental such as Lucia Pulido’s ensemble, La Cumbiamba eNeYé, Los Aliens, and his own Coba, and The Cheap Landscape Trio.

As a teenager in the 90s, Cruz found himself at the epicenter of Colombia’s burgeoning local rock scene and the revival of interest in the country’s rich musical traditions. Performing at all the local rock venues, as well as the first three editions of Rock al Parque, the largest free rock festival in Latin America, Cruz started his life on stage with “El Zut” and “Los del Centro,” two bands showcasing original Colombian flavored rock.

His newest project, Sebastian Cruz Quartet, is the result of a lifelong search of finding an organic meeting place for his eclectic interests: Colombian traditions, electric sounds, creative improvisation, and sophisticated songwriting. After recording two albums of original songs showcasing a diverse selection of stellar singers, this marks also the beginning of a new creative and expressive era that incorporates Cruz’s own singing. Their debut three-song single “El Prisma” was released in the Spring of 2023.