Jazz Calendar

LA CHAMPOLA

Manolo Mairena, percussion, vocals
Anibal Cruz, piano, vocals
Wilson Vera, bass, vocals
Angel Subero, trombone
With Special Guest Amir Milstein, flute

La Champola Quartet is a group of very talented friends--musicians who got together to present some of the Cuban and traditional Latin American music to the public.

Singer, conguero, and multi-instrumentalist Manolo Mairena hails from Costa Rica. His music has captured the hearts of audiences worldwide and he’s known for his dynamic stage presence and undeniable talent. Manolo's latest album is “Esto es lo que Hay,” released in November 2023.

Cuban pianist, composer, arranger Anibal Cruz started as a classical pianist at the age of 8 years old in his native Cuba. He graduated from the Conservatory Jose White in Camaguey and the University of Arts (ISA) in Havana, where he began his career as a composer. At age 24, he received a scholarship to attend Berklee College.

Angel Subero is a Venezuelan trombonist who attended the Conservatorio Itinerante in Caracas, Venezuela, where he studied with the legendary Michel Becquet. After coming to the U.S in 2001, he attended Boston Conservatory and NEC.

Subero has performed with The Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, Boston Ballet, Pittsburgh Symphony, American Composers Orchestra, Venezuela Symphony, Simon Bolivar Symphony, and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, to name a few. He has worked with such conductors as John Williams, Seiji Ozawa, Kurt Masur, Sir Colin Davis, Christoph von Dohnanyi, Keith Lockhart, and Robert Spano, among many others.

Ecuadorian bassist Wilson Vera studied at Universidad Tecnica de Manabi. Vera is a guitarist and a bassist who was classically trained and at the same time he is an expert in Latin American triaditional music. Wilson is also skilled in performing on the requinto guitars.

Special Guest Amir Milstein sits in on flute. Israeli born, Milstein has established his career in the world-music scene, founding acknowledged ensembles such as Bustan Abraham and Tucan Trio which he has recorded and performed worldwide. His musical background represents a variety of styles and cultures including classical, jazz, Meditteranean, Balkan and Latin music. He has led numerous ensembles and collaborated with world renowned artists such as Zakir Hussein, Tito Puente, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Ross Daly, Omar Farouk Tekbilek, Armandinho Macedo, Theodosii Spasov and Mikhalis Nikoloudis, among others.