Panama Jazz Festival


The Panama Jazz Festival was founded in September 2003 by pianist Danilo Pérez.

History

Perez founded the festival with the intent to improve people's lives through the shared experience of music. The festival has welcomed 300,000 people from all over the world. Organizers announced that more than 5 million dollars in scholarships has served more than 25,000 students from Latin America and the world.
The festival provides a week of master classes by musicians from Berklee College of Music, Berklee Global Jazz Institute, and the New England Conservatory. Other institutions that have participated in the festival include the Golandsky Institute, Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, Sienna Jazz Foundation, Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, New York Jazz Academy, and the Paris Conservatory.
Musicians who have attended the festival include Kenny Barron, Rubén Blades, Terri Lyne Carrington, Billy Cobham, Jack DeJohnette, Nnenna Freelon, Herbie Hancock, Stanley Jordan, Joe Lovano, Ellis Marsalis Jr., John Patitucci, Dianne Reeves, Wayne Shorter, Esperanza Spalding, Mike Stern, Chucho Valdés, Randy Weston, and Lizz Wright.
Invited musicians teach master classes where students from Latin America and the world come together to learn from the international masters of jazz. Among the musicians who have given lectures are
Kenny Barron, Brian Blade, Ran Blake, Terri Lyne Carrington, Regina Carter, Santi Debriano, Jack DeJohnette, Nnenna Freelon, Tia Fuller, Eddie Gómez, Craig Handy, Charlie Hunter, Stanley Jordan, Joe Lovano, John Patitucci, Marco Pignataro, Kurt Rosenwinkel, David Sanchez, Wayne Shorter, Janis Siegel, Ben Street, Steve Turre, Chucho Valdés, and Randy Weston.
The festival supports the year-round educational programs of Danilo Perez Foundation, which brings art and music to children from poor communities in the Republic of Panama. The idea for the Danilo Perez Foundation originated in the 1965 when Danilo Perez Urriola started his educational programs with children of poverty in Panama and created an elementary and high school curriculum where all classes were taught through improvisation, composition, and the performance of music.

Recordings

Panama Suite was recorded with students and faculty of Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory to commemorate five years of the Panama Jazz Festival. All tracks were composed and directed by Danilo Perez and produced by Billy Herron and Berklee College of Music.

Associated schools and organizations

Music therapy symposium

The Music Therapy Symposium was founded in January 2013 by Chilean saxophonist, music therapist and Executive Director of the Panama Jazz Festival Patricia Zarate. The mission of the Latin American Symposium on Music Therapy is the dissemination of the theory and practice of music therapy in Latin America.
YearMusic therapistOriginContent
2013Sharon KatzSouth AfricaMusic Therapy in Apartheid SudAfrica
Paola CasalPanamáMusic Therapy in Panamá
Melany TaylorPanamáMusic Therapy in Panamá
Cynthia PimentelMexicoMusic Therapy with Children and Adults
Patricia ZárateChileMusic Therapy with Children and Adults
2014Kathleen HowlandU.S.Music Therapy & Alzheimer, Special Needs, Parkinson, The Power of Music and Therapy
Silvia AndreuChileMusic Therapy in Elementary School Setting,Well-being of teachers through Music Therapy, Music Therapy and Hearing Loss with Children
Patricia ZárateChileMusic and Extreme Poverty in Latin America
Jorge MontaldoArgentinaMusic Therapy in a Hospital setting with Elderly, The Training of a Music Therapist, From Chaos to Composition, Benefits if Music Therapy in Mental Health Community Settings.
Alfredo HidrovoPanamáMusic for Healing
Aleyda Duarte & Luis Carlos PerezPanamáThe Changing Role of Music in Panama
Pedro PeñaVenezuelaFrom the Quality of Sound to the use of Music for Expression, Music as a Tool for Self Expression
Margarita Carreño & Kleiberth MoraVenezuelaNetwork of Penitentiary Symphonic Orchestra's
2015Kathleen HowlandU.S.Music Therapy in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Cancer, Introduction to Neurological Music Therapy, Psychology of Music - Why Music?
Juan Pablo RuizColombiaUsing Music Therapy as a Tool to Treat Special Needs Children
Marlene Rodriguez-WolfDominican RepublicMusic Therapy in a Pediatric Oncology Unit, Music Therapy and Pain Management
Aleyda Duarte & Luis Carlos PerezPanamáSocial Change through Music
Cecilia Di PrinzioArgentinaA Teacher's Occupational Health from a Music Therapy Standpoint, Early Intervention
María GalánColombiaMusic Therapy Activities Based on the Methodology of Electro-Acoustic Music
Melany TaylorPanamáMusic Therapy in Panama
Patricia ZárateChileThe Therapeutic Effects of Jazz
Jorge MontaldoArgentinaMusic Therapy in a Hospital Setting, Corporeity and Music in Music Therapy. Testimonies from the XVI National Congress of Music Therapy in Argentina, Moving from Chaos into Composition. Immanence in the Training of a Music Therapist
Max TeránCosta RicaMusic Therapy Workshop Autism and Executive Functions: Clinical Research from the approach of Abordaje Plurimodal
Sandra SchvetzPanamaMusicoterapia and Cri Du Chat
Alejandra SanchezMéxicoThe use of Electro-Acoustic Devices in Music Therapy, Experience with children on the Autism Spectrum
2016Connie TomainoU.S.Clinical Improvisation in Music Therapy, Music and Memory, Music and the Brain, Recovery of Speech through Music Therapy
Kathleen HowlandU.S.An Introduction to Music Therapy and Medicine, Music Therapy and Speech/ Language Disorders, Music Therapy and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Juan José CapellaVenezuelaSystematic Musical Psychotherapy
Andrea OyarzúnChileMusic Therapy for People Diagnosed with HIV/AIDS
Juan Pablo RuizColombiaInteractive Workshop on Music Therapy
Melanie Taylor HerreraPanamáThe Importance of Environment: Treating Adolescents with Disabilities,
Stephanie PlatzerU.S.Music Therapy and Neurological Disorders
Jorge MontaldoArgentinaMusic Therapy and Medicine
Kira HelperU.S.Music Therapy and Neurological Disorders
Aleida DuartePanamáMusic for Social Change
2017Colin Andrew LeeU.S.Music Therapy and Improvisation; Aesthetic Music Therapy; Music therapy Techniques for Neurological Advances in Nordoff Robbins Technique
Kathleen HowlandU.S.Music Therapy and Cognition; Educational Curriculum for Music Therapy; Music therapy Techniques for Neurological Advances in Nordoff Robbins Technique
Juan Pablo RuizColombiaInteractive Workshop on Music Therapy; Music Therapy and Improvisation with children ages 0–6
Krystal DemaineU.S.Exploring the Musical Echolalia in Children; Teaching with Compassion in the Creative Therapies
Carolina Torres LópezColombiaMusic Therapy Intervention and Development of Assertive and Empathic Skills in Adolescents Involved in School Bullying
Violeta DíazChileAnatomy of Cerebral Artists
Talia GirtonU.S.The New Music Therapy Center of Panamá
Lucía BertelloPanamáThe Effects of Musical Training on the Behavior and Emotional Wellness of Children Ages 5–13
Carolina Muñoz LepeChileSelf-Care Workshop for Mothers of Children and Young People with Severe Cerebral Palsy
Lauren CasoU.S.African Percussion for Music Therapy
Esteban RoaColombiaThe New Music Therapy Center of Panamá
Aleida DuartePanamáMusic for Social Change
2018Kathleen HowlandU.S.Musical performance vs Therapy
Ana Maria HerreraColombiaContributions of Music Therapy to the therapy of laughter
Talia GirtonU.S.Elements of a Music Therapy Session
Andres SalgadoColombiaPilot music therapy program for adolescents victims of the Colombian armed conflict
Carlos GomezColombiaCommunity Music Therapy for the construction of peace in the armed conflict of Colombia.
Colin LeeCanadaImprovisation Workshop
Camila PfeiferArgentinaMusic and the Brain
Violeta DiazChileCases of Neurology in Music Therapy
CarylBeth ThomasU.S.Introduction to Music Therapy in Psychiatry
Jenny LeónColombiaMusicoterapia para el fortalecimiento de la dinámica familiar de niños con implante coclear
Camila PfeiferArgentinaNeurological music therapy

Awards and honors

YearNameOccupationNotes
2003Luis RussellPianistMusical Director for Louis Armstrong's band since 1935. Pianist Luis Russell led one of the early big bands. In 1925, he moved from New Orleans to Chicago to join Doc Cook's Orchestra and then became the pianist in King Oliver's band. Musical director of Louis Armstrong's band since 1935, he has performed with King Oliver, Red Allen, and Jelly Roll Morton.
2005Victor BoaPianistHe was part of the Panamanian jazz scene beginning in the late forties. His particular flavor of jazz was called "tambo jazz". Victor "Boa" in 1946 began to lead the group Down Beat Five.
2006Mauricio SmithFlautist, reeds player, musical director, composer, arranger, guitarist, keyboardist, percussionist, and singerMauricio Smith was born in Panama but lived most of his life in New York City. He performed and recorded with Clark Terry, Charlie Mingus, Dizzy Gillespie, Chubby Checker, Eartha Kitt, and Harry Belafonte. Smith was a member of the Saturday Night Live band and led the Latin band at the Rainbow Room for six years. He scored music for movies and wrote arrangements for Tito Puente. He has performed classical music as a flautist and soloist with the Puerto Rican Symphony and has given recitals at Avery Fisher Hall. Smith was born on July 11, 1931 in Colón, Panamá. He distinguished himself as a cyclist while he played flute in La Banda Republicana de Panamá. He attended the Conservatory of Music of Panamá and performed professionally with la Banda de Bomberos de Colón. He soon focused on folkloric Panamanian music with Leonidas Cajar. Apart from the flute, he was known to play saxophone, clarinet, piccolo, harmonica, classical guitar, bass, vibraphone, and Latin percussion.
2007Barbara WilsonSinger
20085th anniversaryDedicated to all festival supporters
2009Clarence Martin Sr.Bassist, composer, arrangerContributed to Panamanian jazz since the 1940s and has influenced several generations of musicians from many genres such as jazz, classical, and Caribbean music. Born in Ciudad Panamá on January 29, 1922. His mother was pianist Clementine Armtrading de Martin. His father, Vernon Martin, was a clarinetist and played in La Banda Del Cuerpo de Bomberos de Panamá. Since his childhood, Martin accompanied his mother on saxophone and piano. He became a bassist and arranger for Armando Boza. Martin toured internationally with Celia Cruz, Beny Moré, Cascarita, Vicentico Valdez, Miguelito Valdez, Sara Montiel, Angélica María, Roberto Ledezma, Peter Dutchin, Daniel Santos, Lucho Gatica, Olga Guillot, Don Pedro Vargas, Mona Bell, and Shaw Elliot.
2010Sonny WhitePianistBorn in Panama, White lived in the U.S. most of his life and recorded "Strange Fruit" with Billie Holiday. He also performed with Sidney Bechet, Artie Shaw, Benny Carter, and Dexter Gordon. The success of the song propelled White to continue working with Artie Shaw and Benny Carter. After World War II, White explored R&B and contemporary pop music which led him to play with Big Joe Turner, Lawrence Lucie, Sid Catlett, and Roy Eldridge.
2011Víctor Vitín PazTrumpeterA Latin jazz trumpeter, he was a member of the Fania All Stars. He worked for Broadway shows in New York City and performed with Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Dizzy Gillespie, and The Jackson Five
2012Carlos GarnettSaxophonist, composer, arrangerBorn in Red Tank, Panama Canal Zone. As a teenager he played with soldiers from the nearby United States Army base. Garnett started playing tenor in 1957 and calypso and Latin music. In 1962, he moved to New York, working with rock bands, but he listened to free-jazz saxophonists. He gained recognition for his work with Freddie Hubbard, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, and Charles Mingus, and Miles Davis. He also worked with Jack McDuff, Andrew Hill, Gary Bartz, and Norman Connors. He recorded five albums for Muse during from 1974 to 1977.
201310th Anniversary
2014Penteceptennial of Christopher Columbus's discovery of the New World and centennial of the building of the Panama Canal
2015Eric DolphySaxophonistAn American free jazz alto saxophonist, flautist, and bass clarinetist, whose parents immigrated from Panama. He collaborated Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, and Booker Little.
2016Randy WestonPianist, composerAmerican jazz pianist and composer, his father was Panamanian. Weston's music incorporated African elements. He collaborated with Dizzy Gillespie, Kenny Dorham, and Cecil Payne Weston began working professionally in R&B bands in the late 1940s before playing in the bebop outfits of Payne and Kenny Dorham. After singing with Riverside in 1954, he led trios and quartets and attained a reputation as a composer, contributing "Hi-Fly" and "Little Niles" to the repertoire.
2017Violeta GreenVocalistA native of Bocas del Toro, Cobra lived and worked throughout his life in the province of Colon and both Violeta and Cobra.
201815th Anniversary