Since Dayramir Gonzalez got his break as a pianist and composer as a member of Oscar Valdes’ Afro-Cuban jazz ensemble Diákara as a teenager, he has been at the forefront leading the future of Afro-Cuban jazz. Since then, Gonzalez has gone to win three Cubadisco awards for his 2007 debut album Dayramir & Habana enTRANCé, became the first Cuban recipient Berklee College of Music Presidential Scholarship and was handpicked by the legendary Chucho Valdes to take part in Carnegie Hall’s Voices of Latin America series.
Gonzalez continues to bring contemporary Afro-Cuban jazz to the masses from his current home base of South Bronx, New York City. He recently appeared an album with Afro-Cuban, Canadian-based percussionist Joaquin Nunez Hidalgo and his Habana Safari project, Ruta De La Clave, released earlier this Spring.
Ahead of his Toronto show at Hugh’s Room Live, Gonzalez joined Laura Fernandez for an exclusive interview on Café Latino where he talks about his artistry, influences and what he looks forward to.
Listen to the two-part interview below. Tickets are still available for Dayramir Gonzalez’ show on September 30 at Hugh’s Room Live, you can find them here.