Music
Press
Ania Paz, pianist and jazzist, is the leader of one of the most popular Jazz group in the Dominican Republic….It is impressive to see how this beautiful lady performs at the piano, and to enjoy the depth of her interpretation in complicated musical tunes…drawing the interest of audiences and huge crowds that attend every one of her performances - TEVE Showbusiness Magazine, Puerto Rico
Ania Paz Jazz Ensamble´ s artists, Virgilio Féliz Junior (bass); Félix Cabral (drums); Juamy Fernández (percussion) and Ania Paz (piano) brought a very special gift for themselves and their fans: the Cajon ….The Ania Paz Jazz Ensamble´ s repertoire is blended by the diversity and quality of every one of its themes, but there is a very special original tune …..Una mujer feliz. A famous group with a new sound and Una mujer feliz are great reasons to attend the Cinemacafé next Wednesday night - El Caribe newspaper, Dominican Republic
Ania´s playing on keyboard is compelling and relentless on tracks like Acoso and Pre-yeso which are uptempo driving rhythms…Ania does offer some contemporary playing on the ballad Serenidad and Victor Young´s Stella by Starlight” which is my killer cut on an album which is beautifully played and full of energy and excitement. - Euroclubdejazz
Pianist and keyboardist Ania Paz is carrying on the Caribbean tradition of producing pulsating rhythms and superb playing on her recent release. She has been enthralling audiences for many years…and this mainly self composed set will add to her growing reputation as one of the country´ s leading jazz musicians - Euroclubdejazz
Her music reflects the fusion between the old and the modern. A mixture of freedom and wisdom, of ecstasy and serenity. Ania Paz, a beautiful inca princess making music in Santo Domingo - Hoy newspaper
Discography
CD Festejo Dominicano
CD Ania Paz Jazz Ensamble
DVD Live in Satchmo, XVI Festival Internacional Jazz en Lima 2006
CD Una mujer feliz
CD Meta Arara
Photos
Bio
www.myspace.com/aniapazjazzensamble
Ania Paz, pianist and composer, is known for her modern and driving sound, impregnated by a new fusion of Caribbean and Afro-Peruvian styles, within the Jazz language.
She was born in Lima, Peru, where she started studying music at the age of 4, and wrote her first composition at the age of 6. Her passion for music took her to different countries and musical cultures, studying classical music as well as jazz first in Germany, and then in the US, where she got her Masters Degree. She is actually a resident of the Dominican Republic.
She is the leader of the Ania Paz Jazz Ensamble, which successfully performed at the XVI Festival Internacional Jazz en Lima 2006, and opened for Gato Barbieri in Santo Domingo.
She also performed at several jazz festivals and concerts, such as the TCI Jazz Festival in San José, California; the Colonial Jazz Festival in Santo Domingo; the Festival Jazz Astwood; as well as at jazz clubs, Theatre Halls and main TV shows in the Dominican Republic, Peru, Germany, Spain and the US.
As a composer, she recently won with her symphonic work "San Francisco" the Jose Reyes Award in Santo Domingo, which will be performed by the Santo Domingo Symphony in November; she won with her Jazz Ballad "Serenidad" the jazz composition competition in Casa de Teatro - where Michael Camilo and Juan Luis Guerra were part of the jury -; received an award at the USA Songwriting Competition with "Inspiracion Mia" - in the Latin category -; and received a letter from the historical Monuments’ Director in Santo Domingo, mentioning that her compositions are a strong cultural contribution to the Dominican People. In addition, her composition "Acoso" was selected to be included in the new Jazz Compilation produced by TDV Media & Entertainment. Her compositions go from small instrumentations and songs, to Big Band orchestrations and pieces for Symphonic Orchestra.
As an educator, she has been teaching and presenting Master Classes at Universities and Music Institutions in Germany, the US and the Dominican Republic; she created the curricula for the Departamento Folclórico del Conservatorio Nacional de Música in Santo Domingo and for Jazzymas; and she wrote several jazz and modern styles methods.
In addition, she participated at the second international convention of the Afro-Latin and American Research Association, presenting a conference about the development of African rhythms in different areas of America. As a result she received recognition for extraordinary support from the University of Missouri-Columbia.*
The Ania Paz Jazz Ensamble shows an intense Caribbean rhythmical groove, combined with contrasting spaced atmospheres, within jazz harmonies, jazz forms and jazz improvisation.
At every concert audiences are touched by the special chemistry among its musicians.
The use of 4 Afro-Peruvian Cajones as well as several percussion instruments, plus its Dominican flavour enrich even more the repertoire´s original compositions and arrangements.
This Ensamble has released a DVD, featuring its live concert at the XVI Festival Internacional Jazz en Lima 2006, the CD Una mujer feliz, and recently a new CD called Festejo Dominicano, which integrates Peruvian and Dominican influences into the Jazz idiom. The CD Una mujer feliz and Ania Paz´CD Meta Arara are currently played on Radio Stations in the US, Belgium, England, the Dominican Republic, Guadaloupe, Panama, Puerto Rico and Peru.
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