El Movimiento at

Composed of an all-star roster of Nashville’s leading jazz & world-music artists El Movimiento (or “ElMo” as the band is affectionately referred to by its hometown fans) has in a few short years established itself as a sensation on the Music City’s jazz scene. The septet’s powerful and original sound and repertoire are the result of a unique partnership between a multi-cultural trio of accomplished instrumentalists and composers: Saxophonist and Nashville native Rahsaan Barber, Dominican percussionist Giovanni Rodriguez & Puerto-Rican trumpeter Imer Santiago. Emerging modestly from a group of young creative musicians who gathered weekly at a coffee house to play music that transcended boundaries and categories, El Movimiento has dedicated itself to two inspiring missions: To build on the heritage established by Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Machito and other Latin jazz giants and to incorporate into its sound contemporary influences like modern jazz, rock and other popular American styles...

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Composed of an all-star roster of Nashville’s leading jazz & world-music artists El Movimiento (or “ElMo” as the band is affectionately referred to by its hometown fans) has in a few short years established itself as a sensation on the Music City’s jazz scene. The septet’s powerful and original sound and repertoire are the result of a unique partnership between a multi-cultural trio of accomplished instrumentalists and composers: Saxophonist and Nashville native Rahsaan Barber, Dominican percussionist Giovanni Rodriguez & Puerto-Rican trumpeter Imer Santiago. Emerging modestly from a group of young creative musicians who gathered weekly at a coffee house to play music that transcended boundaries and categories, El Movimiento has dedicated itself to two inspiring missions: To build on the heritage established by Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Machito and other Latin jazz giants and to incorporate into its sound contemporary influences like modern jazz, rock and other popular American styles. The ensemble has succeeded in satisfying die-hard Latin jazz fans and attracting a generation of younger listeners raised on the sounds of contemporary jazz, Latin pop and soul. This global approach to music-making has enabled El Movimiento to create an exciting, modern, jazz-influenced sound that synthesizes the best elements of African- and Latin-American musical traditions from the US, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Argentina, Cuba & Puerto Rico.

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