Alexis Baró’s Afrokando pays tribute to the golden age of Cuban Big Band

 You’re one of the greatest trumpet players I feel in the world. We are so blessed and happy to have you here in Canada. Tell us a little bit about your background, where you were born, when you came [to Canada] and little background on yourself and on your music?

I’m born and raised in Cuba, I did my formal musical studies in a couple of conservatories, playing professionally with artists such as  Omara Portuondo and with Radio and Television Orchestra in Havana where I first started doing my lead work. I was brought over by the lead chair and as a substitute for him, he took me under his wing. And when he left, he left me on his chair. So that was my very first big band encounter.

And then in 2001, I moved to Toronto and I met a lot of great musicians. I came here with the idea of learning music because there’s so much music in Toronto and  in Canada. There’s all kinds of styles of music and, all you got to do is immerse yourself in the scene an you’ll find something that is interesting and something to learn. So that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.

I love that you have a great variety of styles in a way. All your albums are different.  I’ve been following all of them. I remember Blue Skin,  all your albums are particular and special and have their own sound. 

With this particular album, you’re delving into big band music. When I listen to this album, I can feel it in my chest. I feel it physically. And I just think that’s incredible. I mean, what a way to experience the music! What made you want to make a big band album?

Well, I always love the big band sound and on the previous show with you hosted, I did a couple songs from my previous album that were in a big band format. I think performing that live, actually recording it first, and then performing that live, it gave me the sensation of you know what, this is one thing I haven’t explored enough that. I want to do it. This format, this sound, it’s one of the things that I haven’t done yet in terms of being in the front[as a bandleader]. I play with big bands in Toronto, but from that perspective, it was something that I haven’t done before. After the show was done, I felt like it was something that kind of called me and I want to explore this format on a deeper level.

What drew you to the trumpet? Was it the first instrument you picked up or did you start with another instrument when you were a kid? Because I know in Cuba, they train you from a very young age at the the conservatories and at the institutos and often I’ve talked to a lot of artists that started with other instruments and then switched.

Well, I grew up with a family of strings, right? So my mom, she’s retired now, but she was a cello player for 50 years for the National Ballet and Opera. One of her sisters was a viola player for the National Symphony Orchestra. The other sister was a violin teacher. And then the other sister was a doctor who used to play piano.

So the first instrument I ever had that I recall was a little violin in my hand. One of my aunts gave me a violin and she decided to try to give me some violin lessons, I don’t think that went very well as a little kid. But then my mother, because we didn’t have any babysitter, she used to take me to her school where she was teaching at the time. She used to put me in her classroom with all the cello students and all that stuff. I don’t have a memory of this, but I guess I didn’t like it so I would always wander away and always end up on a trumpet room. So every time I wandered away from her classroom, she would find me in the trumpet room. So when I was like eight, nine years old, I got a trumpet and took a couple of lessons and started my journey with a trumpet. It’s been like that ever since.

I wanted to ask you about some of your tracks on the album such as “Afro-Cubanía.” Are you connecting to your African roots? Is that why you called it[the album] Afrokando?

Actually, the title track, Afrokando, the name of the album, I wouldn’t say nothing to do with the African roots, but not directly. The rhythm, one of the rhythms that I use is Pilon, and it was made famous by Pello El Afrokán. Pello El Afrokán is a percussionist that developed his style in Cuba,  he had this particular rhythm which I use in the song. So that’s why the [album is called] Afrokando. It’s a tribute to Pello El Afrokán.

So for this one, I decided to use some African rhythms, like Afro-Cuban rhythms on it. But it also expands int Afro-Cuban jazz in terms of  the development of African rhythm that came in the 1800s or before that, 1700s, 1600s, and then 1400s, and then what developed into the 1900s.  And then, you know, I have Afro rhythms, which people call s Latin jazz, and then I have Bolero on it, and then again I end up with some African rhythms. So it’s the legacy of the African rhythm reflected within Cuban music put into one song but very minimalistic.

Tell us a little bit about what the concert at Glenn Gould Studios on International Jazz Day? Is there anything we should expect? 

If you hear the album, you will sort of have an idea what to expect. It’s definitely never the same when it’s live right but we’re gonna have Angel Luis who sang a couple songs in the album. So he’ll be a guest performer along with a couple of other guests that I’m not gonna say for now.

Alexis Baró Y La Big Band presents Afrokando takes place on April 30 at Glenn Gould Studios. For tickets and more info, visit alexisbaro.com.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.