Yesun
Grammy-nominated Cuban pianist, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, composer and bandleader Roberto Fonseca returns with his new album, Yesun. Combining jazz sensibility and deep roots in the Afro-Cuban tradition, Yesun is the Havana-born artist s ninth solo album. The record delves into the music of Fonseca s homeland of Cuba while keeping its sights set firmly on the future, weaving in electronic beats, spoken word, retro-modern keyboards, Fonseca s vocals and more. Yesun is the album I ve always wanted to make, says Fonseca of a record that combines everything from jazz and classical music to rap, funk, reggaeton and electronic music. All my influences are here. All the sounds and vibes that make me who I am. Yesun is a trio album whose 12 original tracks are bolstered by Fonseca s regular bandmates, drummer Raúl Herrera and longtime double bassist Yandy MartÃnez Rodriguez. Guests include Grammy-winning American saxophonist Joe Lovano, lauded French-Lebanese trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf, Grammy-nominated Cuban rapper/singer Danay Suarez and famed Cuban bolero diva Mercedes Cortés. Yesun follows 2016 s ABUC, praised for its incandescent Cuban contrasts by The Guardian. That same year, Fonseca served as Artistic Director of the inaugural Jazz Plaza Festival in Santiago de Cuba. Most recently, he received the prestigious Ordre des Arts Letters (Order of Arts and Letters) from the French Ministry of Culture.