Yilian Canizares in Fusignano for Crossroads

June 30, 2021

On June 24th, the lights of the Piancastelli di Fusignano park were turned back on, which hosts most of the Romagna concerts of the Crossroads regional jazz festival, which will bring artists like Emilia-Romagna until the end of the year. Among them, of great interest is Yilian Canizares, Cuban violinist and singer with great stage presence and originality. The violin, in fact, is not one of the instruments usually associated with jazz and, therefore, opens original stylistic paths.

Canizares was supposed to be on a European tour last year to present the new album Erzulie, but the pandemic stopped it, so she returns now with a completely new project: the Resilience Trio, whose name refers precisely to the desire not to be buried by difficulties. Alongside the leader, her compatriots Childo Thomas on electric bass and Inor Sotolongo on percussion.

Born in Havana in 1981, Yilian established herself as a classical violinist first in her native land, then in Venezuela and Switzerland, where she still resides today; only later did she approach singing and jazz, receiving lessons from Stephane Grappelli and inserting classical music and Cuban tradition into her style.

The result, as we said, is a very original and effective style, which mixes high and low music, cultured and popular. Cañizares has collaborated with important Cuban artists, particularly Chucho Valdés and Omar Sosa, with whom she recorded the album "Aguas".