NDR Bigband & Omar Sosa

“I’m not a jazz pianist,” says Omar Sosa. In the case of the Cuban musical genius, this is not a self-imposed limitation: Sosa is an “everything” pianist. As an eight-year-old, he taught himself to play marimba and percussion. He later lived in Ecuador and San Francisco, and has been based in Barcelona since 1999. In each case, he dove deep into the respective national culture. Sosa has played salsa, funk, avantgarde and hip-hop, and has even experimented with classical music. Hamburg’s finest mighty jazz troupe, the NDR Bigband, is just as versatile and is always popular at ELBJAZZ. The 17-strong ensemble has often performed with Omar Sosa, and they won the ECHO Jazz Award in 2010 for their joint album Ceremony. Their concerts are so fiery that anything combustible better be kept far away from the stage. The motto “Afro Cuban Jazz” stands for unique rhythms, overflowing emotions and, quite simply, the party vibe!