Cultural Events
The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad Program
Jazz Ambassadors Program
U.S. Department of State
Welcome to The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad formally known as the Jazz Ambassadors program. Our mission is to share American music as a vehicle of communication with other countries. Jazz at Lincoln Center and the U.S. Department of State have collaborated to produce a tour featuring six jazz quartets and two American urban music quartets to represent American music overseas. These artists have been selected from a national pool of applicants and reflect the talent and diversity of musicians across the United States. The Rhythm Road artists will tour in January 2006 performing in Latin American, Africa, Asia, Eurasia, Europe and the Balkans. The tours are designated for countries that are not often visited by American musicians to foster cross-cultural exchanges. In addition to public concerts, the visiting ensembles will conduct master classes, lecture-recitals, workshops, jam sessions, radio and TV appearances.
Performances in Guatemala will be by the band "Alejandro Avilés Latin Jazz Quartet", integrated by two saxophones, bass and drums.
Alejandro Aviles received his B.S. in music education from Hofstra University and his masters in music from Manhattan School of Music. He has studied saxophone, improvisation, piano, and music arrangement. Alejandro has taught students of all ages and has also served as a faculty member of Oneonta Musical Festival. Mr. Aviles has conducted saxophone master classes at the Conservatory of Puerto Rico and served on the faculty of the International Jazz Workshop in Xalapa, Mexico.
Ricardo Rodriguez was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He received his BA in double bass in classical music in Puerto Rico. He studied privately with multiple professors at the Berklee School of Music of Boston at their summer for Outstanding Musicians. Mr. Rodriguez has served as a professor at the Extension Programs of the Conservatory of Puerto Rico.
Composer, arranger, and drummer Henry Cole Rios studied at Conservatorio de Musicia in San Juan Puerto Rico, as well as Berklee College of Music and Columbia University during the summer of 2003. Currently, he is studying at the Manhattan School of Music, where he received a full scholarship. He has performed with artists David Sanchez, Dee Dee Bridgewater and others. Mr. Rios toured the U.S., Canada and Europe with several musicians and has also performed at several festivals.
Jason Erik Gillenwater graduated magna cum laude and received a bachelor of music degree from Berklee College. He received his masters in music from Manhattan School of Music with a major in jazz performance. Mr. Gillenwater has performed around New York and New England and has played throughout the U.S., Spain, and Latin America on tenor saxophone, clarinet, and flute. Mr. Gillenwater teaches saxophone, clarinet, and flute as a private instructor and also teaches at Merit Music in New Canaan, Connecticut.
Performances in Guatemala
Xela:
Teatro Municipal
March 27, 7:00 pm
Guatemala City:
IGA Theater
4 Grados Norte
March 30, 8:00 pm
For more information on Latin Jazz in the United States, please view:
"Latin Jazz 101"
The Ambassador
Embassy Sections & Other Agencies
