About the artists

Willie Martinez has been a familiar face in New York City's eclectic music scene for well over twenty years. As well as being one of the most sought after drummers on the Latin Jazz scene today, Willie is also a gifted composer, arranger and vocalist.

Listen to Willie Martinez And Make It Snappy mp3

He has imparted his unique rhythmic and vocal styling upon groups performing everything from Gothic Funk at the quintessentially New York rock club CBGB's to Afro Cuban jazz on the grand stage of the prestigious Carnegie Hall. He has performed and recorded with artists as varied as the classic Cuban arranger, composer, and bandleader Chico O'Farrill, to legendary jazz pianist George Cables, to contemporary Pop divas Jewel, Faith Hill, and Brandy.

His performances have been documented on television, video and CD, sharing the stage with a wide variety of artists representing a Who's Who in the American music industry, including Latin legends Bebo Valdes, Ray Santos, Paquito D'Rivera, and Arturo Sandoval; jazz greats Frank Wess, Danny Mixon, Benny Powell, and Arthur Blythe; and pop veterans Leon Pendarvis, Barry Eastmond, Jerry Barnes, and Ira Siegel.

Some of the more recent recordings Mr. Martinez can be heard on are "Back with Sweet Passion", the most recent recording of flautist Andrea Brachfeld, where he is featured on drums and vocals; on "Pa'lante", the highly acclaimed Latin jazz CD by Palmetto recording artist, trumpeter Ray Vega; and on "Steppin' with T.P.", the last commercial recording of the late piano virtuoso Hilton Ruíz.

He is also the musical director of percussionist Norman Hedman's tropical jazz ensemble Tropique, and can be heard on their latest recording "Garden of Forbidden Fruit" on Power Light Records.

Mr. Martinez performs regularly with his own group La Familia Sextet; an ensemble that features his original compositions and arrangements. The sextet features Willie on drums and vocals, Renato Thoms on congas and percussion, Misha Tsiganov on piano, Jennifer Vincent on bass, Max Schweiger on baritone sax & flute, and J. Walter Hawkes on trombone.

This ensemble represents the very best of New York style Latin jazz. The baritone sax and trombone frontline is a unique treatment for this genre, and combined with the infectious rhythm section, smokes to the very last note.

The music of Willie Martinez and his La Familia Sextet is a perfect example of how the marriage of Afro-Caribbean rhythm and the harmonic structure and improvisational nature of jazz continues to remain fresh, exhilarating and timeless.

He resides in Brooklyn, New York with his wife Aricka and their two children. For more info visit www.williemartinez.com

La Familia

Misha Tsiganov

Misha Tsiganov was born in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1966, into a family of artists, his father a sculptor and his mother, a music teacher. He began playing piano at the age of six and graduated from Mussorgsky College of Music. In 1991 he was invited to study at the Berklee College of Music by legendary vibraphonist Gary Burton and moved to New York City two years later.
Throughout the past ten years Misha Tsiganov has performed and recorded with such musical artists as Clark Terry, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Wynton Marsalis, Dave Valentín, Joe Chambers, Gary Bartz, Richie Cole, Chico Freeman, Norman Hedman, Vincent Herring, Johnny Colon, Ray Vega, Valeri Ponomarev, Bobby Porcelli, Bobby Sanabria, Joe Lock, Craig Handy, Adam Rogers, Ira Coleman, Antonio Sanchez, Gene Jackson, Claudio Roditi, Bobby Watson and Victor Lewis.

Jennifer Vincent

Bassist, cellist Jennifer Vincent has been an active force on the music scene in New York City for the past ten years. She has played and toured with the likes of Jon Hendricks, Betty Carter, Bobby Sanabria, the Harry Whitaker Group, Ray Vega, Mo’ Guajiro, Doc Cheatham, Carmen Lundy, The Roberto Rodriguez Septet, and Regina Carter, to name a few. She also tours regularly with The Duke Ellington Orchestra, and can be heard on Abbey Lincoln’s Verve release: Over the Years.
Ms. Vincent is equally comfortable in a wide variety of idioms including jazz, Latin jazz, and traditional Cuban music. Her teachers have included Ron Carter, Ed Bennett, Andy Gonzales, Buster Williams, and Cuban bass legend Cachaito Lopez of Buena Vista Social Club. Ms. Vincent’s current passion is the music and rhythms of West Africa and the Middle East .

Cristián Rivera

Multi percussionist Cristián Rivera was born in New York City in 1980 and began playing congas at the age of 18. He received instruction from Johnny Almendra at the Harbor Conservatory of the Performing Arts in East Harlem, where he learned to read music, as well as play bongos and timbales. In the year 2000, only 2 years after ever having had touched a drum, he was selected as a finalist in the International Thelonius Monk Hand Drum competition.
At such a young age, Cristián has already performed and recorded with the likes of Nelson Gonzalez, Nestor Torrez, Bobby Sanabria, Larry Harlow, Los Jovenes Del Barrio, Candido Camero, Marc Weinstein, Jimmy Bosch, Arturo O'Farill, Mario Rivera, Willie Martinez, the Xavier Cougat Orquestrsa, Dave Valentin, Ray Vega, Hilton Ruiz, David Sanchez, La India, Brenda K. Starr, Justo Betancourt, Lalo Rodriguez, Paquito Guzman and many others. Cristián endorses Latin Percussion instruments and Vic Firth sticks.

Max Schweiger

Saxophonist Max Schweiger was born in Weiz, Austria. He earned his Masters of Music degree from the University Graz and came to New York City in1992. Mr. Schweiger, having always had an affinity for Afro Cuban Jazz, quickly found himself invited to perform with the world-renowned Cuban musical icon Mario Bauzá.
Since joining that illustrious orchestra Max has gone on to play all over the world with Latin, Jazz and Pop luminaries such as Ray Barretto, The Funk Brothers, The Chico O’Farrill Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra, The Four Tops, Wynton Marsalis, The Temptations, The Duke Ellington Orchestra and Paquito D’Rivera. He is can be seen in the critically acclaimed film on Latin music in New York City, Calle 54.

J. Walter Hawkes

Originally from Pascagoula, Mississippi, trombonist J. Walter Hawkes has been a resident of New York City since 1995. He has played and recorded with such notables as Slide Hampton, Madeleine Peyroux, Norah Jones, The Temptations, Bob Hope, Eddy Davis, Beth Orton, Vince Giordano, The Flying Neutrinos, Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, Jet Set Six, and David Berger's Sultans of Swing, to name just a few.
Nowadays, you will find him composing and producing music for film and television (Nick Jr., Cartoon Network) and playing in the finer dives around New York City with his own group and many others.

Bonaire Students Band

Every year on the Program of the Bonaire Jazz Festival is the Students Band. Most students come from the SGB (Scholen Gemeenschap Bonaire).
The composition of the Band changes almost every year and we will publish the names one month before the Festival and in the Program Books.
The musical coordinator is Robert Swinkels , music teacher at the school. He does all the coaching of the youngsters together with Moogie , singer , percussionist and performer on Bonaire.
Scott Katzev , on tenorsax, will be one of the professional musicians to enforce and support the band on stage.

Footsteps Ahead

Listen to their music

Footdsteps ahead Eddy Samson Born in Aruba Self taught Musician a Pioneer of Jazz ,latin ,funk and many other styles, Also a Jazz composer and Arranger, for thirty Years of dedication and many other skills and also directed many bands working in Hotels in Aruba, experiences working with varios musicains on the island of Aruba also did many performances in the Jazz festivals in the Caribbean.
Richard Holmond Born in Aruba attended a drum clinic at the collective Drum school in Manhattan. He took private lessons in Havana with Enrique Pla, band member of IRAKERE, studying afro Cuban rhythms. He also participated in a drum clinic in Vancouver, Canada, with Greg Bissonnette. He has performed in international jazz festivals in Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, Medellin, with different jazz groups
Robert Varona Born in Cuba graduated at the Higher institute of Art (instituto Superior de atre of Havana),in 1989 he received Magisteral classes from Daniel Dafayet ,professor of the supperior Conservatorium of Music of Paris,He did varios jazz festivals such as Northsea jazz Holland comersi France in munich in jazz yamborin ,in poland also international Experiences included polland ,Korea ,Switserland, Sweden, Australia, italy ,costa ,Rica ,and Aruba ,
Frankie Yanga Born in New York attended Roterdamse Music school in holland, graduated at the Musicians Institute in California and has sat in with Scott Henderson and Joe Diorio. He played with different international jazz musicians in the Caribbean and toured in Europe. He performed in international jazz festivals in Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire and St. Lucia. He conducts workshops in the Caribbean

Website: www.yangaentertainment.com

Tinfoil

The band of John Hilgers and company Real Bonairian stuff with own compositions and a rhytm and blues repertoire and some interesting Salsa Latin Jazz

John Hilgers: leadsinger, songwriter, composer
Martina: guitar , vocals
Robur: bass guitar and vocals
Marshall: drums , percussion and arrangements

Scott Katzev will join Tinfoil as special guest on saxophones and flute.

www.tinfoiltheband.com

Empatia

This quartet comes from Venezuela and has a repertoire of straight jazz combined with Venezuelan and Latin rhytms

Pablo Gil tenor: sax, alto sax and flute
Gerry Weil: keyboard
Carlos: "Nene" Quintero drums & percussion
Robert Koch: bass

The name of the band refers to a CD released in 2006: Empatia which was a great success. The CD wil be available at the Heineken Bonaire Jazz Festival 2008 for a special price

www.gilpablo.com

Izaline Calister and Band

Izaline Calister - Singer, composer and lyricist with a distinctive personal musical style. A charismatic performer, at times warm and intimate, then again expressive and extroverted, masterfully weaving together the traditional music of her native island, Curaçao (Dutch Caribbean), with Jazz. Izaline possesses the exceptional gift that makes all the difference for a soloist, as she sings in her mother tongue, Papiamentu, with feeling and grace. She has this ability to remain true to her roots and successfully reach out and conquer audiences around the world singing in an unfamiliar language, while melding seamlessly the pulsating rhythms of Afro-Antilles music with Jazz.

Izaline Calister, vocals

Roel Calister, drums ,percussion

Ed Verhoeff, guitar

Marc Bischof, keyboard

Gerardo Aponte, bass

Niata Augusta, backing vocals

Rendel Rosalia, percussion

Izaline will do two performances:
Jazz and Poetry with Ed Verhoeff and Roel Calister on May 22
Main concert with the Band on May 23

www.izalinecalister.nl

Krusa Musica Bonaire

About the program:
The Antillian classsic and modern music is influenced by african religious slave music ( tambu, tumba, negrospirituals), and by European music.( French and Spanish composers)
We starts with some roots and we will end with a modern antillian piece.

1. Joshua fit the battle of Jericho (negro spriritual)
2. You ain't necessarely so ( musical Porgy and Bess, composed by George Gerschwin )
3. Apres un Reve, Gabriel Faure.
4. Silencio (Bolero by Rafael Fernandez Marin)
5 Sympathique, Pink Martini
6. Bendishon Disfrisa (Antillian lyrics and music)

Linda Anthony: vocals
She sings both spanisch and traditional jazz styles
Hans Faassen: Stage piano and split bass.
He loves to mix classical and jazz styles, and he is an instant composer
Papachi Salsbach: guitar, violin, bass
Experienced in Bonairian rithms, Mexican and Spanish music styles
Erik van Silfhout: violin, vocals
He loves to play and sing classic music, and Spanish music.Specialized in singing duets with his wife Linda