New residency unites two Latin cultural pillars of New York City

This year, composer, pianist, bandleader, six-time GRAMMY winner, and two-time Latin GRAMMY winner Arturo O’Farrill, along with the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, will be hosting a free Concert Series at El Museo del Barrio’s El Teatro building, on March 13 & 14, and May 15 & 16.

This residency brings together El Museo del Barrio and Belongó, led by O’Farrill, two organizations dedicated to celebrating and preserving Latin and Afro-Latin jazz culture through music and education.

In an interview with Caribbean Life, O’Farrill discussed his family background and how he came to be the renowned musician he is today.

O’Farrill grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and he said, “It was confusing. I was the only Latino/Mexican kid I knew, and somehow I was always aware of being different.”

His father was of Cuban, Irish, and German descent, while his mother, who was born in Detroit, was of Mexican and Spanish descent.  O’Farrill added that, according to his DNA, he also has North African and Eastern European heritage.

Something that may surprise people about O’Farrill is that he is a certified scuba diver through the  Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI). Even though it’s been years, he still loves to do it, and has done so with his son, Zack, off the waters off Jamaica and Hawaii.

Discussing the people who had the greatest influence on his career path, O’Farrill said, “Certainly my father had a great deal of influence on me, but so did the iconic American composer, Carla Bley.  Her approach to music was not bound by genre or style, and it was filled with humor.  From her, I learned the three greatest ingredients for a composer: curiosity, integrity, and accuracy.”

His interest in becoming a musician began with his love of playing the piano, but eventually, he fell in love with composing. “In the long run, I realized I love communication and community.  Performance and composing are a path to building both,” O’Farrill added.

For O’Farrill, his career officially began when Carla Bley heard me performing in rural New York at a bar, and she invited me to join her band. Soon after that, he was performing with her at Carnegie Hall and internationally.

Another interest O’Farrill had growing up was in rap and spoken word, which began when he was a teenager, as he was in one of the first rap groups in history.

He explained, “There are many aspects of this residency that need preparation.  Certainly, arranging the music of the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra with strings would be wonderful. Celebrating the late Chilo Cajigas will involve recasting his performances with Caridad La Bruja, Baba Israel, and others, which will be another very moving experience.”

He created the nonprofit Belongó and even invented the name.  “It was a direct result of the organization known as the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance, which was created to support the performance, preservation, and education of the music and culture of Afro Latinos through the entry point of jazz.  The very first year it was founded, we had in-school residencies, a pre-professional training ensemble, and we started commissioning new works for the genre,” he stated about the significance of his organization’s work.

For the Afro-Latin and other BIPOC audiences in New York who will attend these performances as part of the residency, O’Farrill’s message is that his nonprofit is not an invitation to join this movement, but it is a statement that this tapestry already belongs to the noble people of this beautiful community.

“We are co-heirs of a legacy founded by our ancestors, Machito, Mario Bauza, Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, La India, and even Chico O’Farrill.  It is a legacy of demanding a place at the table and being seen for the elegance and genius of our mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons,” he continued.

O’Farrill says his legacy will be seen as musical. Discussing the ways he wants to inspire younger generations, he believes: “Music is merely a vehicle for building hope and fostering the dreams of marginalized communities. Besides the physical home we are planning for East Harlem, Casa Belongó, I am hoping I/we will leave a legacy of ownership, we are contributors and builders, owners and participants in a metaphysical space bigger than any building,” he stated.

He added, “We need to reclaim the future, so our people are no longer blamed for societal ills by racist presidential administrations and targeted for illegal harassment by armed militia contrary to all that is supposed to be what this nation stands for.”