Member of the Jazz Journalists Association, journalist for Jazz Times Digital and various newspapers in the Dominican Republic. He is the Founder and Director of Jazz en Dominicana. Fernando was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
At a very young age moved to the United States where he lived and went to school in Hempstead, NY. He then studied at the University of Houston and exercised his early career with Hilton Hotels until 1982 when he returned to his home country. From 1983 to 2008 dedicated to the transport and freight logistics sector; having been, among others: Operations Manager of Island Couriers/Fedex; Manager – Air Division for Caribetrans, and Country Manager of DHL.
In 2006, he created Jazz en Dominicana, and since 2008 he has been dedicated to informing, promoting, positioning and developing jazz in the country and Dominican jazz to the world. He has received many awards, including: the Ministries of Tourism and Culture of the Dominican Republic, UNESCO, Centro Leon, International Jazz Day, Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, Casa de Teatro, Festival de Arte Vivo, MusicEd Fest, in 2012 the Casandra as Co-Producer of the Concerto of the Year Jazzeando (Dominican Republic´s Oscars/Grammys).
Fernando has been a member of the Judge´s panel for the 7 Virtual Jazz Club International Online Contest since its inception in 2016.
Can you tell us more about your professional background? What’s your main field of work today?
I was born in Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic. At age 9 my family moved to the United States, I lived and went to school in Hempstead, NY. After High School I studied at the University of Houston and exercised my early career with Hilton Hotels in Houston, Texas until in 1982 when I returned to my home country. From 1983 to 2008 worked in the cargo and freight transportation and logistics sector; having been, among others: Operations Manager of Island Couriers/Fedex; Manager of the Air Division for Caribetrans, and Country Manager for DHL. In 2006, I created Jazz en Dominicana, and since 2008 I have been fully dedicated to informing, promoting, positioning and developing jazz in my country and jazz made by Dominican musicians to the world. Since that moment to now, and into the future I will continue to contribute to the culture of music, especially Jazz, in the Dominican Republic, via a series of actions that complement what I have chosen as my lifes mission.
How do you see the state of jazz in your country? In which direction is it going?
There has always been and will be (I hope) an audience that likes and supports jazz in our country. Today around the country you can enjoy various live Jazz events for an audience that to me is not static, but rather growing, amongst others there are: Festivals, concerts, weekly and periodic events, as well as live Jazz being played in restaurants, lounges and bars. To those you would have to add an increasing number of private events, product launches, event closings and others that use live Jazz as the musical or live activity for the assistants. I explain a little more. 15 years ago there were almost no places with live jazz, today there are regularly scheduled and programmed events, concerts and festivals not only in Santo Domingo, but in Santiago, San José de las Matas, Haina, Sosúa, Punta Cana, and in other places around the country. There is an audience, there is a culture that is in crescendo… The work we do (not only Jazz en Dominicana, but organizers of events, concerts, festivals, radio programs, educators) is really a great push in favor of this beloved musical genre. Now the next step of frontier is exporting it.. Only Michel Camilo is known around the world, and we have a lot of musicians that should be known as well.
Make three names of musicians that innovated jazz music in your country
That would be difficult to reply to. But I will pick 3 that have meant a lot to me…
Yasser Tejeda: Yasser Tejeda is an award winning songwriter, guitarist, vocalist and producer from the Dominican Republic. According to Billboard Magazine ¨Yasser is giving a new twist to the Dominican traditional folk music with Jazz, Rock, and Caribbean Rhythms in riotous celebration of the ancient union¨, while Juan Luis Guerra, the most influential Dominican artist in the world, praised its mission calling it a ¨wonderful example of what is happening with Dominican music¨. Yasser has released two albums, ¨Kijombo¨ (2019) and ¨Mezclansa¨ (2009), with his group Yasser Tejeda & Palotré. ¨Mezclansa¨ was listed as one of the 100 essential recordings of music by the Dominican Republic Writers Association of Art (Acroarte). Yasser has focused primarily on uplifting and promoting his Afro-Dominican roots, thereby making the diversity of Caribbean music known.
Pengbian Sang & Retro Jazz: Bassist, composer, arranger and educator Pengbian Sang and his group Retro Jazz has greatly bridged the gap between popular music and jazz in our country, having managed to bring jazz to an audience that until then was distant from this musical genre. Compositions that became famous as merengues, bachatas, salsas and boleros, are performed by the group in versions that range from swing to blues, through funk, bossa and reggae, among other styles linked to jazz. The renowned group has released three successful albums, titled “Jazzeando el Cancionero Dominicano, Vols. 1 2 and 3″. Currently, the band is immersed in the production of its fourth album, which will include, for the first time, unreleased songs written by members of the band.
Josean Jacobo: Josean is a pianist, composer, arranger, folklorist and educator who studied “Jazz Composition” at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, later he continued in Argentina where he studied “Music Composition for Film and Multimedia” at the EMU, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina. His group Josean Jacobo & Tumbao was born from the desire to present his musical ideas, compositions and arrangements after returning to the country. The always restless Jacobo is very studious and respectful of the great Afro-descendant rhythmic richness of the Dominican Republic, incorporating them into his compositions as a way of making them known while preserving them for future generations. Educating audiences on the impact Caribbean culture has on Jazz via his archeological expeditions.
What’s the name of a new talent you are particularly fond of?
Jhon Rafael Martez melenciano: born in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic – the musical prodigy began his musical studies at the age of 4 with his parents – he entered the National Conservatory of Music in Santo Domingo at the age of 9 – where he played as first trumpet in the conservatory’s Big Band, as well as the Juan Symphony Orchestra Pablo Duarte (Youth Symphony Orchestra); and at his very young age has already been a two-time soloist of the National Symphony Orchestra. Also at age 9 he discovered his passion for jazz in the first Berklee program in Santo Domingo – today he is in his third year at the prestigious Berklee College of Music. He has already released 2 albums Jazz Resurrection, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, these are both a result of his transcribing his favorite songs and artists, and his thought of how it would be to be on a stage performing them – but adding new colors and ideas. Basically he chose the repertoire because all the artists who composed the songs are no longer with us, and Martez says: ¨I wanted for my generation to know these performers with their wonderful music, it is like bringing it to life again¨!
What’s your favorite genre within jazz? Why?
I really listen to all types of jazz from all time periods. From Dixieland to Bebop, Cool to Modal, from Latin to Fusion to Neo-Soul and to all of the retro styles that are taken place today. As my favorites I would probably go with Cool Jazz and Fusion.
Cool: The genre brought us the calm and unhurried approach to improvisation. Finer textures, smoother dynamics, smoother melodic phrasing. Trumpeters tend to play with a lighter and less harsh tone with little vibrato, less intensity on the part of drummers, more use of brushes. More intricate arrangements, an emphasis on composition. New instrumental combinations (flute, cello, French horn, oboe, etc.). Renewed interest in collective improvisation.
Fusion: I grew up in the lates 60´s early 70´s and this was the era of fusion, which emerged as a combination of jazz and rock, with musicians incorporating elements of rock, funk and R&B into their music. Fusion relied heavily on the use of electric and electronic instruments, such as electric guitar and bass, electric keyboards, and synthesizers, with a continued focus on extended improvisation and ensemble interaction.
Do you think that schools can teach improvisation?
Improvisation cannot be taught, it can be enabled and nurtured. However, I believe that schools and teachers can teach what improvisation is, as a definition. And then set the groundwork, the base, the ambiance, the nurturing for it to happen. There is an interesting line that says: Either musicians learn to master rules telling them what they can and cannot play – a sort of “secret language of jazz.” Or, each musician builds up a personal library of melodic patterns – “licks” – that they can draw upon and recombine in new and interesting ways – IMPROVISE.
Name a record that every jazz lover should own.
Long list of albums that should be in a jazz lover´s musical library. Miles Davis´ Kind of Blue is one of the must have. The album is the best-selling classic jazz album ever. Miles´ soft, muted sound on the trumpet is synonymous with ‘cool’ jazz, this album and its contents have become a template for what a jazz record is meant to be, it houses some of the greatest, most atmospheric and influential music every recorded. It’s also perhaps the most influential jazz record ever released.
What are your future projects?
You know Valerio, I never really thought that my hobby, my passion could become the “perfect job.” It is exhilarating to wake up every day with ideas of what more I can do, of not being tired of what I do, of sharing jazz with family and friends; Above all, I try to do everything I can in Jazz en Dominicana with a lot of dedication, enthusiasm and love.
I find that, through the articles, books, agreements with institutions in the United States, South America and Europe, I am in a beautiful place and phase. It is one of being able to help to spread our jazz and our musicians to other shores; of course without stopping doing everything else here!
