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Samuel Torres
When the imposing talents of one of today’s most versatile Latin jazz artists meld with the organic richness of some of the world’s greatest cultural melting pots, the results are guaranteed to be as fresh and virtuosic as they are revealing and magical.
Torres was born September 4, 1976 in Colombia’s bustling capital city of Bogotá and was nurtured in this culturally sophisticated metropolis where jazz and classical music share the stage with salsa and an infinite variety of Colombian folkloric idioms. His earliest exposure to music came at home, thanks to an extended family of musicians and ready access to a wealth of Colombian music genres, from the infectious rhythms of the cumbia and vallenato to styles which reflect a range of African, indigenous and European influences, including the porro, bambuco and pasillo.
A major inspiration was Edy Martínez, an uncle who had risen to fame in the New York City salsa scene in the early 1970s as a pianist and arranger in conga player Ray Barretto’s popular conjunto. Torres further cites Barretto as a primary influence and credits exposure to two seminal Barretto albums that featured his uncle, the early Latin jazz classic The Other Road and the salsa powerhouse Indestructible, as helping to spur his interest in becoming a musician.
By the age of 12, Torres was performing with various Bogotá ensembles, developing techniques that allowed him to quickly adapt to the demands of jazz, pop music and salsa. A classically trained percussionist, he earned a degree in Music Composition from Bogotá’s esteemed Universidad Javeriana. Before departing for the U.S. in 1999, the resourceful young artist had become an established figure on Colombia’s hectic music scene, backing leading Colombian performers while serving as an arranger and music director for his country’s highly regarded telenovelas (TV soap operas) and films.
Shortly after arriving in the U.S., his career took a dramatic turn when he was tapped by famed Cuban trumpet virtuoso Arturo Sandoval to join his group. Torres spent four years touring the world and recording with the jazz great, polishing his ever-expanding talents while attracting the attention of a long list of renowned artists with whom he would eventually collaborate. Over time, he would perform and/or record with a veritable “who’s who" of the jazz, Latin pop and salsa world, including such luminaries as Tito Puente, Paquito D’Rivera, Chick Corea, Alejandro Sanz, Ricky Martin, Don Byron, Richard Bona, Lila Downs, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Angelique Kidjo, Marc Anthony, Rubén Blades, Fonseca, Andrés Cepeda, Thalía, and his country’s own international superstar, Shakira. His talents have also been featured in concerts with classical orchestras as Berlin Symphoniker, City of London Sinfonia, Boston Pops, Bogotá Philharmonic, Medellín Philharmonic, Delaware University Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Nashville Symphony.
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Source:
Something Else!
By PicoSamuel Torres' life journey from a boy with dreams of being a full-time musician, to becoming a full-time musician, to becoming a successful one, takes another turn with the release last week of his second album, Yaounde. Born and raised by a hard working a supportive single mother in Bogot, Columbia, Torres' perseverance as a percussionist paid off as he became in demand in his native country, becoming proficient on styles ranging from jazz, salsa and pop ...
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Percussionist/Composer Samuel Torres to Release Yaounde Available March 23 @ samueltorres.com, cdbaby.com and iTunes
Source:
Jason Byrne, Red Cat Publicity
Percussionist/composer SAMUEL TORRES to Release YaoundeAvailable March 23 @ samueltorres.com, cdbaby.com and iTunes . . . at once intelligent, sophisticated and explosive." - JazzTimes . . . has written and recorded music for his project that is inventive, lyrical, and important work. He is a special artist"- Jeff Tain" Watts[Samuel Torres'] playing is full of joy and that's what music is all about" - Richard Bona . . . a ...
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Samuel Torres Group "Live" @ The Triad, NYC - 9/12
Source:
All About Jazz
September 12th, 2005 - 9:00pm (1 set only) Samuel Torres Group w/... Yosvany Terry: Saxophones Manuel Valera: Piano Oscar Stagnaro: Bass Ernesto Simpson: Drums Samuel Torres: Percussion and Keyboards @ The Triad 158 West 72nd St, 2nd floor (between Columbus and Broadway Ave.), NYC 212-362-2590 Admission: $10 plus ...
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Latinjazz performance with the Samuel Torres Latin American Jazz Ensemble
Source:
All About Jazz
Saturday April 24th, 2004 - New York, NY @ 8pm, $10 Samuel Torres Latin American Jazz Ensemble performance @ El Taller Latinoamericano Featuring: Samuel Torres - Percussion John Benitez - Bass Mike Rodriguez - Trumpet Hector Martignon - Piano Ernesto Simpson - Drums Julia Dollison - Vocals This six-piece contemporary ...
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" [Samuel Torres] playing is full of joy and that’s what music is all about.” Richard Bona.
"Skin Tones is at once intelligent, sophisticated and explosive." Jazz Times.
"... a skillful musician coming into his own." Latin Beat Magazine.
About Skin Tones "...a modern Classic for all jazz lovers " Jazz Review.
"[Samuel Torres].. has written and recorded music for his project that is inventive, lyrical, and important work. He is a special artist." Jeff "Tain" Watts
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Be Normal
From: Grit & GraceBy Samuel Torres