FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1, 2015

World-renowned Pianist OMAR SOSA in Concert April 9 at Bok Tower Gardens; part of 2015 Jewel of the Ridge Jazz Festival

LAKE WALES, Fla. – The Second Annual Jewel of the Ridge Jazz Festival has expanded in 2015 to include an exclusive concert and reception in the intimate setting of Pinewood Estate at Bok Tower Gardens.

On Thursday, April 9 at 7:30 p.m. Omar Sosa’s Quarteto AfroCubano bring their Afro-Cuban based mix of jazz and world music to the 1932 Mediterranean-style mansion, followed by an exclusive cocktail reception with the artists. This concert event is being presented in partnership with the Polk State College Lake Wales Arts Center.

From each culture he touches, Omar Sosa draws the energy and storytelling of hip-hop, the free-spirited experimentation of jazz, the heartfelt emotion of an Afro-Ecuadorian choir, and the sensuality of popular Cuban music. The result is a modern, urban music with a Latin jazz heart.

“It’s going to feel like you’re visiting a jazz club on the west coast or in New York,” says Osubi Craig, M.A., Polk State Lake Wales Arts Center director, who created and organized the event to coincide with Jazz Appreciation Month in April.

"You don't really listen to an Omar Sosa concert so much as experience it," says Craig, about the Cuban-born pianist whose demeanor exudes a sense of calm, while a spiritual connection to music comes through in his piano playing. "This is an intimate setting where only 50 people will have the rare treat of getting a ‘backstage pass’ to meet and talk with an artist of his caliber."

The seven-time Grammy-nominated pianist, composer and bandleader emigrated from Cuba in 1993. In 2003, he received a lifetime achievement award from the Smithsonian Associates for his contribution to the development of Latin jazz in the United States.

Sosa’s fresh and original urban sound fuses a wide range of jazz, world music, hip-hop and electronic elements with his native Afro-Cuban roots. Sosa is joined by fellow Camagüeyanos, Ernesto Simpson on drums, Leandro Saint-Hill on saxophone, flute and clarinet, and Mozambican electric bassist Childo Tomas.

Only 50 seats are available at a price of $50 each, which includes a cocktail reception with the artists immediately following the concert. Advance reservations are required by calling Bok Tower Gardens at 863.734.1222 or by ordering online at BokTowerGardens.org/OmarSosa.

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