Latin Connections

The “Latin Connections” project was developed over a period of six years and was originally conceived as a collaborative project with multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer Clarice Assad. Due to the worldwide Covid restrictions, the recording had to be postponed, and Clarice Assad was no longer available at the time of the recording. The Aquarelle Guitar Quartet was able to turn its first disappointment into joy, as at the same moment it was able to rekindle its friendship with the award-winning jazz singer, cellist, pianist, and composer Sara Dowling, who brings similar skills to the new album. Latin American music encompasses an enormous range of styles, many of which have become popular worldwide: salsa, samba, tango, cumbia, bossa nova, choro, merengue, rumba, candombe, and baião, to name just a few. Arising from the cultural “trinity” of the Spanish and Portuguese presence in South America, African music (thanks to the slave trade), and the indigenous music and traditions of Latin America, Latin American music is as rich and diverse as many other musical traditions worldwide. Its incorporation into rock, pop, and jazz, particularly in the United States, has further popularized and developed the many styles that make up such a rich part of South America’s cultural identity. The album contains pieces by several composers, including Hermeto Pascoal, Chick Corea, Lennon & McCartney, and Sara Dowling herself.