Gendrickson Mena
trumpet, flugelhorn, piano
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Gendrickson
Mena was born in La Havana, Cuba on May 31st 1973.
He is a trumpet professor, instrumentalist and arranger graduated at the prestigious
Escuela provincial de Musica "Amadeo Roldan" in 1992.
He participates to the "Plaza latin Festival" in Cuba in
1990 and 1991.
In 1994 he becomes a band member of the "Sonora
Caribegna" Orchestra, conducted by his father, Pedro Mena, guitar player,
multi-instrumentalist, composer, and arranger. Under the direction of his father,
and following his example and his guide, Gendrickson Mena starts working
on the arrangements of the orchestra, apart from playing trumpet and keyboards,
and he performs in the most important venues of the country. During the same year
he starts teaching at the "Paulita Conception" Conservatory, and becomes a member
of the Cuban Symphonic Orchestra. With the "Sonora Caribegna" Orchestra he participates
to the recording of an album and to various TV and radio programs.
He participates to very many festivals, among which we name: the Latin
American Festivals in Milano, Viareggio and Jesolo, the International Festival "Evento
Suono", the Jazz Festival in Montreux – where he plays with Gonzalo Rubalcaba,
Julio Barreto and Miguel "Anga" Diaz. At the Burghausen Jazz Festival
in Germany he is invited to play by the singer Chaka Khan. He participates
to the International Seixaljazz Festival in Portugal, at the World Music Festival
Verden Norden in Oslo, Norway, at the International Jazz Festival April Jazz in
Helsinki, Finland, and at the Baltic Jazz Festival in Salzau, Germany.
He also participates to the North Sea Jazz Festival in Holland. He collaborated
with Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Ivan Graziani, Vinicio Capossela,
David Murray and Tony Martinez. He collaborated with various projects,
recording in studio with the LoGreco brothers, Raffaella Arzani, and
following the musical production and the arrangements of the first album of the
Cuban drummer-percussionist Calixto Oviedo. At present he is collaborating
as arranger and instrumentalist in various projects in studio and in tour, and he
is also teaching and holding master classes, labs and lessons of jazz improvisation
and musical theory.
The
new album "Gendrickson Mena Quintet - All I Missed"
featuring Mario
Zara (piano), Mauro Capitale (tenorsax, alto and soprano)
Ezio Salfa (bass),
Giorgio Di
Tullio (drums) and Gendrickson Mena (trumpet, flugelhorn) will
come out at the end of July 2008 (RAI TRADE
- Videoradio/Raitrade). All the tracks are original songs, seven by Gendrickson
Mena, one by
Mario Zara, one by Ezio Salfa and one by G. mena/M. Fait.
File Audio:
Asi Son Mis Sentimientos
Cha Puchy
Descargando
Gendrickson Mena is featured as special guest in the album album recorded
in 2007 and issued in
2008 by Splasc(H) Records "Pure
Ecstasy" by
Eva Simontacchi
& E.S.P. Trio.
What People Say About Him:
"Great
musician, wonderful person with a great jazz feeling!"
(Gianni
Cazzola – drummer)
"I was surprised by the artistic and stylistic musical maturity of this young artist
that merges an incredible technical skill on the instrument with a lyric-melodic
inspiration which is rare in the Italian jazz scene. It has been a privilege to
play with him."
(Roberto Cipelli – piano, arranger, composer)
"Gendrickson Mena is a very gifted musician and composer, blessed with a rich sensitivity
and rare intensity and generosity."
(Eva Simontacchi
– Jazz vocalist)
"Your cd is very nice. You sound lovely and sincere. I think the sincerity is missing
in the music nowadays. Boy that Gendrickson plays his ass off in your cd. He is
so complimentary to your singing! The guys play so well too!"
(Sheila
Jordan, New York)
Ma sul fronte strumentale la vera sorpresa del disco è il trombettista cubano Gendrickson
Mena, a me personalmente sconosciuto, un vero fuoriclasse sia a tromba scoperta
sia sordinata e al flicorno. Oltre alle idee musicali solistiche che mette in luce
con sicurezza e perizia tecnica, si sente sicuramente una conoscenza "avanzata"
dell'armonia derivata sicuramente dalla pratica diretta del pianoforte. Pur nel
contesto soffuso e sospeso, come quello scelto dalla Simontacchi per il suo disco
d'esordio, Gendrickson non manca anche di rischiare qualche fraseggio "obliquo"
che conferisce proprio un valore aggiunto alle sue improvvisazioni."
(Claudio Angeleri,
Bergamo)
Contacts and Information:
myspace: http://www.myspace.com/gendricksonmena
myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/gendricksonmenathenewcubanexperience
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Data ultima modifica: 29/07/2008
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