Renowned drummer Antonio Sanchez again finds himself in an unconventional trio after convening last year’s BEATrio with Bela Fleck and Edmar Casteneda. This time, Sanchez collaborates with conquero/vocalist Pedrito Martinez and the multi-instrumentalist leader of Snarky Puppy, Michael League, in a rare configuration that features two percussionists and League’s array of instruments. Their mission is to unite cultures and musical genres, not unlike Sanchez’s previous project. Here, however, at play are African ethnic groups that speak Bantu languages, the Calabar culture of Nigeria, and the Yoruban chants of Cuba, transformed into contemporary dance music and today’s jazz. As you may know, Sanchez hails from Mexico City, Martinez from Havana, Cuba…
Tag Archive: Antonio Sanchez
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“Banjo, harp, drums…what the hell is that?” Those words, spoken by drummer Antonio Sanchez at a concert played by himself, banjoist Béla Fleck, and harpist Edmar Castañeda, the men who made BEATrio, this international group’s debut album. Fleck played with both men previously: He met the Mexican jazz drummer at a tribute to Hindustani percussionist Alla Rakha, and then they played together as a duo in Mexico opening for Dave Matthews. Fleck and the Colombian harpist played a duo in Riverside Park, and performed similarly at 2019’s Big Ears Festival.
After the jams with Sanchez offered real possibility, they reached out to Castañeda and formed a trio. The musicians wrote and improvised together, and in September 2024,…
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