Omara Portuondo at TD Ottawa Jazz Festival

“Flowing in the present, but with deep roots in the past – the Cuban singer Omara Portuondo, 79, is still impulsive onstage.” – New York Times

Sixty years have gone by since this young Cuban girl first embarked on the world of singing at the encouragement of her sister. Ever since, Omara Portuondo has been making her mark in her country’s musical culture, to the point where she has now become one of the foremost Cuban singers ever known and a highly regarded performer both in Cuba and abroad. Her participation in the legendary Buena Vista Social Club sessions, Carnegie Hall concert and her memorable collaborations with Ibrahim Ferrer and Compay Segundo introduced Omara to a worldwide audience with a growing appreciation for the music of Cuba’s golden era. In 2008 she recorded her album Gracias as a tribute to the 60th anniversary of her singing career. This album brings together Cuban and Brazilian music and won her a Latin Grammy award in 2009....

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“Flowing in the present, but with deep roots in the past – the Cuban singer Omara Portuondo, 79, is still impulsive onstage.” – New York Times

Sixty years have gone by since this young Cuban girl first embarked on the world of singing at the encouragement of her sister. Ever since, Omara Portuondo has been making her mark in her country’s musical culture, to the point where she has now become one of the foremost Cuban singers ever known and a highly regarded performer both in Cuba and abroad. Her participation in the legendary Buena Vista Social Club sessions, Carnegie Hall concert and her memorable collaborations with Ibrahim Ferrer and Compay Segundo introduced Omara to a worldwide audience with a growing appreciation for the music of Cuba’s golden era. In 2008 she recorded her album Gracias as a tribute to the 60th anniversary of her singing career. This album brings together Cuban and Brazilian music and won her a Latin Grammy award in 2009.

“After sixty years, this album is Omara’s gift to herself and to us, and it lays testimony to the fact that she is still on top form and has stood the test of time.” – The Guardian

The Ottawa Jazz Festival is pleased to welcome Omara Portuondo back to Ottawa as audiences will recall her two fantastic, sell out shows with the Buena Vista Social Club and subsequently with the critically acclaimed Barito. We are thrilled to have her joining us in the Capital again this season.

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