by Dr. Ceylon Mitchell II | May 10, 2024
Join modern Cuban charanga ensemble Raíces Negras in a program dedicated to the beloved Cuban music group Orquesta Aragón. To showcase this fusion of Afro-Cuban rhythms and European classical instruments, Raíces Negras features popular songs from the danzón and cha-cha-cha craze of the 1940s and 1950s, including hits like “Almendra” and “Pare Cochero” by songwriter Richard “La Flauta Mágica” Egües.
This program is performed at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. Rain site: East Building Auditorium
Directed by flutist Dr. Ceylon Mitchell, Raíces Negras is a music collective celebrating Black and Latin voices across the Americas. Blending and bending traditional genres with improvisation, the group’s distinctive sound encompasses a full range of character—from the rich timbral colors of the modern Pierrot ensemble to the Afro-Brazilian swing of choros and complex rhythms of Cuban charanga, and everything in between! Formed by Mitchell in 2019, the collective began as a local, grant-funded concert series of Afro-Latin music, and now consists of world-class musicians hailing from the United States, Venezuela, Brazil, Bulgaria, Haiti, and beyond.
- Ceylon Mitchell, flute
- Sarah Taylor Cook, vocals/coro
- Sheyda Do’a, vocals/coro
- Michael Paxton, sax
- Geraldo Marshall, trumpet
- Christine Kharazian, violin
- Sandy Choi, violin
- Joshua Jenkins, piano
- Chuco Mendoza, bass
- Fran Vielma, percussion: congas
- Dominique Patrick Noel, percussion: timbales
- Bruno Lucini, percussion: drum set, guïro, claves
by Dr. Ceylon Mitchell II | Feb 28, 2024
Join us for an evening celebrating the iconic Cuban charanga Orquesta Aragón, one of the most beloved Cuban music groups and global ambassadors. The beautiful polyrhythms of Afro-Cuban music and balletic European contradanzas meet in hits such as “El Bodeguero” and “Pare Cochero.” Richard Egües, nicknamed la flauta magica, is famous for his distinctive flute playing and catchy songwriting for the group during the danzón and cha-cha-cha craze of the 1940s/1950s. This performance pays homage to his innovations and influence to this day.
Flutist Ceylon Mitchell leads Raíces Negras, a modern Cuban charanga ensemble full of award-winning musicians, providing sonorous melodies and rhythmic grooves that will move your body! With polyphonic percussion and harmonious vocals, this dynamic and unique flute-led ensemble celebrates traditional Cuban forms and Latin Jazz with classics as well as commissions in a fun, improvisatory style. ¡A Gozar!
• Sarah Taylor Cook, lead vocals/pregón
• Jeannette Lewis, flute, vocals/coro
• Taisha Estrada, vocals/coro
• Christine Kharazian, violin
• Amyr Joyner, violin
• Erin Murphy Snedecor, cello
• Ellington Carthan, piano
• Michael Bowie, bass
• Fran Vielma, congas
• Dominique Patrick Noel, timbales
• Bruno Lucini, drum set, guïro, claves
by Dr. Ceylon Mitchell II | Jan 26, 2024
Join us for an evening celebrating the iconic Cuban charanga Orquesta Aragón, one of the most beloved Cuban music groups and global ambassadors. The beautiful polyrhythms of Afro-Cuban music and balletic European contradanzas meet in hits such as “El Bodeguero” and “Pare Cochero.” Richard Egües, nicknamed la flauta magica, is famous for his distinctive flute playing and catchy songwriting for the group during the danzón and cha-cha-cha craze of the 1940s/1950s. This performance pays homage to his innovations and influence to this day.
Flutist Ceylon Mitchell leads Raíces Negras, a modern Cuban charanga ensemble full of award-winning musicians, providing sonorous melodies and rhythmic grooves that will move your body! With polyphonic percussion and harmonious vocals, this dynamic and unique flute-led ensemble celebrates traditional Cuban forms and Latin Jazz with classics as well as commissions in a fun, improvisatory style. ¡A Gozar!
by Dr. Ceylon Mitchell II | Oct 4, 2021
Flutist Ceylon Mitchell and friends present works honoring the musical heritage of Cuba and Brazil. Brazilian choro is a musical genre with roots in African syncopated rhythms and European dance forms, including the lundú, the polka, and the habanera, creating a very unique style. The improvisatory nature of choro mirrors that of North American jazz and virtuosity is a hallmark of the style. The Cuban flute tradition represents dance music at the heart of Cuban national and cultural identity with flute, piano, strings, and Cuban percussion as the core ensemble. Starting with the danzón and extending to other genres like the cha cha cha, mambo, and salsa, its elements include centuries-old European court dances, rhythmic complexity based on the clave pattern from the African Congo Basin, and a flute ornamentation style similar to the late-Baroque and early-Classical flute traditions.
Ceylon will also participate in a brief conversation about his work and talk a little about how the pandemic has changed or charged his practice as an artist and as a marketer.
