SheilaE
Photo credit: Leigh Kelly
Great Performances Presents the U.S. Premieres of Latin Music Documentaries from GRAMMY Winner Gloria Estefan and Raíces Jazz Orchestra July 9 and 16 on PBS
A behind-the-scenes look at Brazilian music and Latin jazz with Gloria Estefan and Tony Succar’s “Raíces Jazz Orchestra”
This July, Great Performances explores Brazilian music and Latin jazz in two new documentaries. Three-time GRAMMY Award winner Gloria Estefan takes a musical journey through Africa, Brazil and Cuba to explore how the music of these places has influenced her own musical heritage in Great Performances – Gloria Estefan: Sangre Yoruba, premiering Friday, July 9 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). GRAMMY nominee Sheila E. hosts Great Performances: Roots of Latin Jazz, which examines the variety of Latin American music with the “Raíces Jazz Orchestra,” featuring two-time Latin GRAMMY-winning producer Tony Succar and musician, producer and educator Dr. Pablo Gil. The documentary premieres Friday, July 16 at 10 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) and is a special co-presentation of Great Performances and Latino Public Broadcasting’s VOCES. Both programs will also stream on pbs.org/gperf and the PBS Video app.
Gloria Estefan: Sangre Yoruba
Great Performances – Gloria Estefan: Sangre Yoruba journeys through three of Brazil’s most influential cities, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Salvador, with Estefan as narrator and host, discussing the history of Samba and its many variations. Featuring regional celebrities like Maria Rita, Carlinhos Brown and Jorge Arãgo, the documentary looks at the African origins of Brazilian music and specific sites that have inspired artists around the world, including the Bay of All Saints and the Christ the Redeemer statue.
Produced by two-time Latin GRAMMY-winning producer Tony Succar, Great Performances: Roots of Latin Jazz reveals the unity between jazz music and Latin culture. Showcasing original compositions and arrangements of jazz standards, such as “Eye of the Hurricane” by Herbie Hancock and “Mas que Nada” by Jorge Ben, the film features GRAMMY-winning artists Richard Bona and Anaadi, among others. Location sequences capture the vibrancy of cities in the U.S., Peru, Spain, Brazil and Cuba.
Throughout its more than 40-year history on PBS, Great Performances has provided an unparalleled showcase of the best in all genres of the performing arts, serving as America’s most prestigious and enduring broadcaster of cultural programming. The series is available for streaming simultaneously on all station-branded PBS platforms, including pbs.org/gperf and the PBS Video app, which is available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Chromecast. PBS station members can view episodes via Passport (contact your local PBS station for details). Great Performances is produced by The WNET Group.
Great Performances – Gloria Estefan: Sangre Yoruba is a production of Sony Music Latin directed by Lourival Rodriguez and co-directed by Vytenis Didziulis, produced by Maricel Zambrano and Lourival Rodriguez with Afo Verde, Alex Gallardo, Ruben Leyva, Erick Douat, Gloria Estefan and Emilio Estefan as Executive Producers. Great Performances: Roots of Latin Jazz is co-directed by Tony Succar and David Rousseau, produced by Tony Succar with Donald H. Thoms as executive producer For VOCES, Luis Ortiz is Managing Director and Sandie Viquez Pedlow is Executive Producer. For Great Performances, Bill O’Donnell is Series Producer and David Horn is Executive Producer.
Major funding for Great Performances is provided by The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation, the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Arts Fund, the LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust, Jody and John Arnhold, The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation, the Kate W. Cassidy Foundation, the Thea Petschek Iervolino Foundation, Rosalind P. Walter, The Starr Foundation, the Seton J. Melvin, the Estate of Worthington Mayo-Smith, Ellen and James S. Marcus, public television viewers and PBS.
Websites: http://pbs.org/gperf, facebook.com/GreatPerformances, @GPerfPBS, https://www.youtube.com/greatperformancespbs/ #GreatPerformancesPBS
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