SFJAZZ to Present and Stream Omar Sosa

Omar Sosa at his array of keyboards (from his SFJAZZ event page)

Three months ago SFJAZZ presented its first public event since lockdown conditions were imposed in March of 2020. On that occasion Cuban pianist Omar Soar gave a solo concert. This month he will return to SFJAZZ for the world premiere of a full-length composition entitled Motherland Journey. The music will be provided by Sosa and drummer Amaury Acosta, but the production will be a wildly innovative multimedia happening performed in collaboration with Kenyan-born visual artist Githinji Wa’Mbire.

Wa’Mbire will create a sculpture on stage inspired by the spontaneous performance by Sosa and Acosta on both acoustic and electronic instruments. Wa’Mbire will contribute his own sonic elements through the use of his sculpture tools, his voice, and his body. Those sonic elements will then trigger electronic audio and video components in real-time. Wa’Mbire’s interaction with the musicians will provide the first opportunity to employ the advanced new stage lighting and projection system to be employed by SFJAZZ for the first time.

This performance will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, September 16. It is expected to last for one hour. The venue will be the Miner Auditorium of the SFJAZZ Center, which is located at 201 Franklin Street, on the northwest corner of Fell Street. Tickets are being sold for $30, $40, and $50 and may purchased online through an SFJAZZ Web page. In addition, there will be two opportunities to view a video stream of the performance. The first of these will be a livestream coinciding with the performance itself. That stream will then be saved for an encore broadcast, which will take place at 6 p.m. on Sunday, September 9, beginning with a live chat with the artist. Online tickets are being sold for $10 for SFJAZZ members and for $20 for non-members. The Web page for purchase includes access to a hyperlink for those wishing to become members.