Omar Sosa: The essence of Africa, the freedom of jazz

Posted on Tuesday, April 26

Omar Sosa: The essence of Africa, the freedom of jazz

Listen to Ollú by Omar Sosa

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by Catalina Maria Johnson
Chicago-based radio host/producer and music writer.

Interviewing Omar Sosa is a delight. He has a wonderful sense of humor,  and converses in a way that is poetic and down to earth all at the same time. Speaking via phone from his home in Barcelona, Spain, the great afrocuban artist’s voice ripples through the syllables of the Spanish language with that melodic phrasing that is particularly Cuban, expounding easily about life and art in a way that is much like his music – always surprising and original.

Known for his multi-faceted recordings (twenty-three to date) and a dynamic, improvisational approach to music, Sosa talks about how a musical path that started at four years of age meandered through quite a few detours before ending at the instrument that has won him multiple Grammy nominations as well as a Smithsonian Institution Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the development of Latin music in the United States.

Early on at the national musical academy, he was most interested in the cello. But his little fingers were considered too short to allow him to play that instrument, so he was put to studying percussion. “Everybody they didn’t know what to do with exactly, went into percussion” he laughs, adding, “But I’ve noticed plenty of cello players with short little fingers”. Due to his height, he also toyed briefly with the idea of being a basketball player, but one game and a smack to his face convinced him to desist in that possibility. He then also considered specializing in another instrument he loves to play, the marimba, but decided against this choice as there were too few of them in his homeland. Finally, the piano captured his attention at about age 19, he says: “Cuba had lots of pianos. In pretty bad shape, but they were there”. He adds that at that point, there was no looking back: “It’s a marvelous instrument,  and has the whole orchestra inside of it”!

Sosa considers his late start at piano and being mostly self-taught somewhat of a blessing:  “Certain limitations resulted in my sound – I play what I feel. I love to compose and play my own music, and I am always seeking confirmation of my tradition as a Cuban with roots in both Africa and the west. As an artist you are always looking for yourself, trying to find yourself as part of the creative process“.

And who has Omar Sosa found in his search for himself? “There is one leitmotif in my work”, he exclaims.  “Africa ! The essence of everything I do! However, he describes jazz as the philosophy that has given him the setting for his exploration, explaining: “Jazz is freedom and an adventure. Any other music you play, you must follow patterns –Raperos, salseros,  they all have to follow patterns. And I hate to follow rules!

However, he concludes that the most important thing he hopes to express with his music is the concept that all of us live in praise of the cosmic force of our ancestors: “This is the essence and foundation of human beings – we are here because someone else was here before us. I feel that force with the music and through the music. And that is what makes it possible for me to make music.”

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Omar Sosa will be performing May 1st at the Mayne Stage with his quartet in ‘Afreecanos’ mode,  which includes African flute, kalimba, gourd flute from Mozambique and samplers of African voices.