July 20 | 6:00pm

CAMILA CORTINA-BELLO

Presents: "Tales of a Traveller"

(Jazz)

“What’s important is to have something to say, whether you connect with 10 people or 6 million.”” - Camila Cortina-Bello

Camila Cortina Bello is an internationally recognized, award winning pianist, educator, musicologist and composer.

Her artistic identity is born of the sounds and rhythms of her original Cuban roots expressed through the lens of jazz, classical and world music that she has encountered along the way. She feels like fusion and cross-overs are as intrinsic to her work as to her “mulato” DNA.

In Cuba, Camila collaborated and shared the stage with acclaimed musicians such as Joaquín Betancourt and Bobby Carcasses. There, she studied classical piano and ethnomusicology and graduated in 2010 with a major in musicology. She is a recipient of the Berklee World Tour Full Tuition Scholarship, earning a dual major in Jazz Composition and performance and a Master's in Contemporary Global Performance.

After her studies, Camila moved to Singapore where she performed as a pianist and music director for different international bands across Asia, including Indonesia and Malaysia. She is very present in the national and international music scenes, collaborating with noteworthy artists such as Terri Lyne Carrington, Dianne Reeves, Paquito d’Rivera, Miguel Zenon, and Linda May Oh to name a few, and performing at Festivals worldwide.

Camila was an awardee of New Music USA's "Next Jazz Legacy Program," which supports emerging women in jazz.

About "Tales of a Traveller"

Camila Cortina will present a selection of original music, including some of the compositions on her first EP, “Sonera,” released in 2023 and never performed live until now.

Accompanied by her quartet, she will reflect on the role of women and ancestry, paying tribute to her Afro Cuban Roots while acknowledging her interactions with other cultures around the world.

As someone who has lived in many places, she treats her music as a vehicle to tell her story, raise awareness, and address challenging topics of today’s life in a positive way.

Some of the compositions include excerpts with the spoken word of political activists and philosophers, natural sounds, and noises from streets she has walked to immerse the listener in a more cinematic experience. It will be an opportunity to travel through music and improvisation, bring people together, and spread love and gratitude while connecting with the sounds of Mother Earth.

Her EP "Sonera" is available on all streaming platforms.

PERFORMERS:

Camila Cortina-Bello, keys

Veronica Leahy, saxophone

Gerson Lazo-Quiroga, bass

Julian Milternberger, drums

Follow CAMILA CORTINA-BELLO

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Advanced tickets are recommended (no service fees)

Doors open 15 min ahead of starting time

Food and alcohol are not permitted

No smoking or vaping of any kind permitted

You can bring your own chair

Performances may be canceled or rescheduled due to rain.

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A few words from the Festival curator, Luisa Harris:

I would like to extend a very special and heartfelt thank you to YOU, the audience, because through your attendance, ticket purchase, and commitment to the arts and community, you are truly making the festival possible and treasured!

Highly valued and appreciated is the philanthropic contribution of ARTS TALKS in curating and organizing the Festival. In coordinating these gatherings, this organization aims to encourage the discovery or application of one's artistic essence.

A very meaningful recognition is CELEBRITY SERIES OF BOSTON NEIGHBORHOOD ARTS' choice to CO-HOST this event. Throughout the years, this organization has demonstrated a consistent commitment in support of the arts and the artists, always in meaningful and effective ways, and inspiring every neighborhood in Boston!

- TOBIN COMMUNITY CENTER, providing the welcoming location of THE YARD for the Festival’s events

- DAN VLAHOS DESIGN, author of the exclusive and compelling branding identities for each Festival’s series, based on his interdisciplinary design practice as well as his thoughtful guidance of student interns through creative learning

- NORTHEASTERN OFF CAMPUS ENGAGEMENT AND SUPPORT, committed to connect students who live off-campus with their community and so adding a positive contribution to the neighborhood