El Rey Shango Superior Orchestra reinvigorates the aftermath of an Afro Cuban legacy, taking you on a musical journey to where it all began.
El Rey Shangó Superior Orchestra is an important project with the goal of preserving the multifaceted development of Cuba’s vibrant musical heritage. This Big band Orchestra performs outstanding arrangements from the late 19th century and beyond. Performing pieces written and composed by some of the greatest pioneers of Cuban popular music, the orchestra demonstrates through live performance what Cuban music is all about, illustrating the island’s cosmopolitan history, dynamic culture, and penchant for improvisation.
This project invites students from conservatories and colleges of music as well as high-school students majoring in music to participate in an educational experience through work-shops, rehearsals with a big band Orchestra and then performing on recognized music stages like jazz clubs, festivals, culture institutions etc.
The arrangements are designed to perform with a big band Orchestra and provide the students a deep dive into the diverse Cuban music and its characteristics. This allows the participants to develop their musical knowledge of Cuban music while interacting in a setting led by professional musicians.
Over the years we have worked and cooperated with many students and their music professors culminating in a successful outcome. This concept gives younger generations of future musicians an insight into the Cuban music that is often considered one of the richest and most influential regional music in the world.
Photographer: Reneé de Càrdenas