2004 Latin Jazz Symposium

Latin Beat Magazine, March, 2004

A Cultural Exchange Between Puerto Rico and the United States

Latin Beat Magazine, in association with the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration Office of California will be hosting a Latin Jazz Symposium for four days between Puerto Rico and the United States in April 2004, which will include seminars, live music, and an art exhibit.

The main purpose of the event is to analyze and discuss the current store of Latin jazz music in Puerto Rico and in the United States and the future outlook of the genre.

The event is scheduled to take place in two of the Western Hemisphere's leading educational institutions; Sacred Heart University (Universidad del Sagrado Corazon) in Santurce, Puerto Rico, and California State University. Long Beach (CSULB) in Long Beach, California.

April 13 & 14, 2004 at Universidad del Sagrado Corazon in Santurce, Puerto Rico

The event will open with a multi-media art exhibit on April 13, curated by Yvette Mangual, art director of Latin Beat Magazine. The same afternoon, the conference segment of the event will take place, headed by a panel of music historians, musicologists, music professors, musicians and journalists. Confirmed speakers include historian/musicologist/author Cristobal Díaz Ayala; Sacred Heart University professor/author/radio DJ Elmer González; Latin jazz bandleader/trumpeter Humberto Ramírez, and Latín Beat Magazine publisher/editor/musician Rudolph Mangual. The following day, April 14, 2004, a concert/jam session will take place under the musical direction of Humberto Ramírez and an all-star ensemble of local musicians as well as guest musicians from the United States.

April 19 & 20, 2004 at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB)

The event will open with a multi-media art exhibit on April 19, 2004, curated by Yvette Mangual art director of Latin Beat Magazine, followed by the conference segment of the event that same afternoon. Confirmed speakers for the conference are University of California at Irvine (professor and curator of the Smithsonian traveling Latin Jazz exhibition, "La Combinación Perfecta") Raúl Fernández; University of Northridge music professor/bandleader Danilo Lozano; actor/poet/writer Ismael Carlo; Grammy nominee/bandleader/educator John Santos; bandleader/musical director Oscar Cartaya; radio DJ/bandleader/educator José Rizo; writer/music analyst/promoter Nelson Rodríguez, and writer/music analyst Luis Tamargo. The following day, April 20, 2004 a concert/jam session will conclude the event at the same location, Musical director Oscar Cartaya will lead an all-star ensemble of local and international musicians with guest musicians from Puerto Rico. Both events in each city will be free of charge and open to the general public. All ages welcome. The Latin Jazz multimedia art exhibit will include photographs, paintings and sculptures in both cities. For consideration, call Yvette Mangual at (310) 516-6767 or e-mail samples to Yvette@latinbeatmagazine.com.

Sponsorship opportunities for both events are still available. For more information call Rudy Mangual at (310) 516-6767 or e-mail rudy@latinbeatmagazine.com.