The Panama Jazz Festival turns 22 years old.

The 22nd Panama Jazz Festival, which will take place January 13-18 this year, will honor Princess Orelia Benskina, a renowned Panamanian dancer, singer, and writer who captivated the stages of Harlem, ventured into music production and poetry, and was awarded the American Heritage Award in 1972.

By Redacción Panorama de las Américas

Photos Cortesy: Panama Jazz Festival

Danilo Pérez is among the Panamanians certain to go down in history. This pianist, composer, educator, and leading champion of world jazz has won multiple Grammy Awards. His work is a unique synthesis of Panamanian roots, Latin American folklore, West African rhythms, classical music, and jazz.

Danilo, however, is more than a musician; he’s a powerful mover and shaker who created and has led the Panama Jazz Festival for 22 years.

To date, the festival has awarded millions of dollars in scholarships to make quality musical education accessible to Panamanian and Latin American students.
It has also brought more than 500,000 music lovers from around the world to Panama.

The Panama Jazz Festival is an important cultural event, but has also, throughout its 22-year history, revived and celebrated the historical memory of Panamanian jazz and its global influence. For those of us who live in Panama, the festival is a cultural, educational, and tourism experience that brightens our calendars every January. The festival also boasts a wide range of educational programming, including symposia and clinics, and serves as an audition center for the world’s top music schools.

The panamanians Billi Herron (up) and Mayra Hurley (down), from Folk Lab Project, are some of the artists invited.

This year’s lineup is top-notch, with renowned international guest artists such as Grammy-winner Ledisi, an actress, writer, and one of the most outstanding band singers working with great jazz artists today. Ledisi will perform with the All Star Band, which features John Patitucci on bass, Terri Lyne Carrington on drums, and maestro Danilo Perez on piano.

Other international performers include award-winning flutist and composer Nicole Mitchell and the Princess Orelia Collective, which is led by saxophonist Patricia Zárate Pérez and includes outstanding musicians Nadia Washington (USA), Yvette Modestin (Panama), Ciara Moser (Ireland), and Milagros Blades (Panama).

Among the Panamanians performing are singer Mayra Hurley, pianist Samuel Barrios, percussionist Lucas Maylin, singer Carolina Pérez, saxophonist Walter Valverde, violinist Graciela Núñez, and bassist Danilo Andrés Pérez, who will shine alongside international artists Manuela Sánchez Gour-bet and the band Equinoccio Hábitat.

As always, during the festival workshops and performances will be offered by prestigious educational institutions such as the Berklee College of Music and its Berklee Global Jazz Institute, the New England Conservatory, the New York Jazz Academy, the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, and New York University.

You won’t want to miss a single one of these events. Purchase tickets before December 15th to enjoy a 50% discount. On sale at Panatiquets.