Roots of Latin Jazz

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.

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.