by Magdy Zara
Cuban composer and pianist Omar Sosa is one of the most versatile jazz artists on the scene today and performs in a masterful concert alongside Seckou Keita who has been praised as “one of the best exponents of the kora.”
Sosa fuses a wide range of jazz, world music and electronic elements with his native Afro-Cuban roots to create a fresh and original urban sound, all with a Latin jazz heart, while Keita has adapted his 22-string African harp to modern jazz.
Cuba and Senegal are the birthplaces of both artists who met in 2012 and debuted with their first album (Transparent Water) in 2017.
Sosa has released more than 30 albums during his incredible career that has included nominations for seven GRAMMY or Latin GRAMMY awards; Keita has released 11 albums as a leader and co-leader and through this work, has won numerous awards, including three Songlines Music Awards and several BBC Awards.
There will be two performances on Jan. 17 and 18, 2025, starting at 7 p.m., at The Freight, located at 2020 Addison Street, Berkeley.
MLK’s Birthday commemorated with 2025 Music Festival
The Martin Luther King Jr. Community Foundation of Northern California, for fifteen consecutive years, has scheduled activities to commemorate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., which on this occasion began on January 13.
As part of the programming, the 2025 MLK Music Festival is scheduled to take place, which is a spectacular blend of art, culture and unity that takes center stage during the annual MLK Day celebrations in NorCal, in association with Purple Cherry Productions, this festival brings acclaimed artists to the iconic Great Lawn of San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Gardens.
The interfaith commemoration will begin at 11:45 a.m., on the Great Lawn at Yerba Buena Gardens, led by the San Francisco Interfaith Council with music by the Glide Ensemble.
The event will take place this Monday, Jan. 20, starting at 12:00 noon, on the
Great Lawn, Yerba Buena Gardens located on Mission St. between 3rd and 4th Streets in San Francisco.
Charo performs at the Montalvo Arts Center
You can’t miss the chance to see Charo perform live. She has twice been voted “Best Flamenco Guitarist” by Guitar Magazine.
Charo’s cheerful personality and signature “cuchi cuchi” expression have endeared her to fans around the world. On television, she showcased her comedic talents on Jane the Virgin, played the Queen of England on SyFy’s Sharknado 5, and introduced viewers to her crazy family and Beverly Hills estate on a hilarious episode of ABC’s Celebrity Wife Swap.
The show will be on Friday, Jan. 31 at 7:30 p.m., on the Carriage House stage at the Montalvo Arts Center, located at 15400 Montalvo Rd, Saratoga. Tickets are $107.
