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Bobby Sanabria and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor
Though LP artist, Bobby
Sanabria is primarily known as an award-winning drummer, percussionist,
composer and educator, he is now also active in Washington, D.C,. as
a representative of Afro-Cuban music and Hispanic cultural heritage.
The multiple Grammy nominee and his band, Quarteto Aché, provided
the entertainment on September 15, 2009 at the National
Hispanic Foundation for the Arts (NHFA) Annual Gala, held at the prestigious
Corcoran Gallery of Art. The evening raised money for scholarships
for emerging Latinos interested in careers in the arts and entertainment.
The event’s guest list included Hollywood stars like NHFA co-founders
Jimmy Smits and Esai Morales, along with Washington power players like
Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, Representatives Xavier Becerra, Loretta
Sanchez, and Charlie A. Gonzalez, and FCC chairman Julius Genachowski.
But all eyes were on the Supreme Court’s newest member, Sonia
Sotomayor—the court’s first Hispanic justice and only its
third female. Recognizing the accomplishments of this remarkable woman,
Bobby Sanabria and Quarteto Aché played a rousing rendition
of “The Sotomayor Mambo”—on which the justice herself
stepped out on the dance floor with Esai Morales.
The NHFA couldn’t have chosen a better artist to provide the
entertainment for this special event. Born in the South Bronx to Puerto
Rican parents, Bobby
Sanabria has performed with such musical greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Tito
Puente, Paquito D’Rivera, Mongo Santamaria, Ray Barretto,
and Mario Bauza—along with leading his own critically acclaimed
ensemble Ascension. He has been featured on many Grammy-nominated albums
and soundtracks, and his own Afro-Cuban Dream…Live & In
Clave!!!—recorded live at Birdland in New York City—has
been hailed as a masterpiece of the Latin big band style. Likewise,
Bobby’s 2003 recording, Quarteto Aché!, documents Bobby’s
virtuosity in a small group setting.
Voted “Percussionist of The Year” in 2005 by the readers
of DRUM! Magazine,
Bobby Sanabria is known for his instrumental versatility and ethnic
authenticity when it comes to Afro-Cuban and other Hispanic styles.
He’s also recognized as one of the most articulate scholars
of “La Tradicion” and a tireless campaigner for percussion
education. In addition to doing clinics and performances at major drumming
events, Bobby is an associate professor at the New School University’s
Jazz & Contemporary Music Program, a professor at Manhattan School
of Music, and chair of the International Association of Jazz Education’s
Afro-Cuban Jazz Resource Team.
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