New York, NY (Top40 Charts) If anyone knows about following her "Passion," it's jazz singer Raquel Cepeda. A longtime geological engineer in the oil industry who one day decided to follow her inner compass and align herself with the gifts bestowed upon her by the universe, in 2015, she shed her corporate skin to consecrate herself fully in music. Originally from Venezuela,
Cepeda grew up in a family of musicians, balancing music and science from early on. Even while pursuing her degree in engineering, she was recognized as a singer of distinction, performing regularly on campus and garnering first place at the prestigious Ucevista Voice Festival in 1995. In 2001, she participated in her first jazz recording project, Juegos de Playa, and in 2013 released her debut CD as leader, I'm Confessin'. Her latest CD, Passion, will be released in October 2019.
Cepeda currently lives in Houston, TX., where she is an in-demand jazz vocalist, known especially for her multi-cultural, multi-linguistic approach, born of her love for languages and long exposure to Latin, Brazilian, and American cultures.
When
Cepeda sings, she reaches her audiences not only by speaking their language, but above all through her eloquent manifestations of melody, style, and message.
Cepeda has played major venues in Houston, Caracas, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro, and has shared stages with such top-flight musicians as Ellis and Delfeayo Marsalis. She was a featured act at Houston's first Latin jazz festival in 2018 and the Brazilian Food and
Music Festival in 2019 and has performed with the Kingwood Pops Orchestra.
Cepeda's latest release
Passion is her most personal to date: a Latin jazz mosaic of 13 pieces, presenting five original compositions among gems from North and South American repertoires. The album's progressive arrangements blend American swing elements with Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian rhythms while incorporating further influences from Argentina and Venezuela.
The recording in and of itself is a gallery of world-class musicians gathered from wide-ranging geographies under one creative umbrella, including Americans: Barry Sames on piano and
Thomas Helton on double bass, Brazilians: Adriano Santoson drums and Cassio Duarte on percussion, Cubans: Orlando Fuentes on drums and Ernesto Vega on sax and flute, and Puerto-Rican trumpeter Omar Martinez. Special guest appearances by Argentinean Grammy winner
Hector del Curto on bandoneon, Venezuelan cuatro player
Jorge Glem, Venezuelan
Marlon Simon on drums and percussion, and American,
David Caceres on backup vocals who kick the sound up to another level. With original arrangements by Barry Sames and Raquel Cepeda, and contributions from Joe LoCascio and Marvio Ciribelli,
Passion also represents Cepeda's debut as a producer, with recording engineer Andy Bradley as co-producer and Cassio Duarte as production assistant. The album was entirely recorded and mixed by Andy Bradley at Houston's Wire Road Studios, and mastered by Jerry Tubb at Terra Nova Studios in Austin.
TRACKS AND TIMES:
01. Caravan 4:26
02. Moliendo Café 5:58
03. Berimbau 4:39
04. From Afar 4:45
05. Mil Congojas 4:11
06. Llorarás 7:03
07. Dentro Dos Olhos Seus 4:21
08.
Little Gem 4:38
09. (You'd Be So) Easy To Love 3:38
10. Luz De Luna 5:32
11. Canto de Ossanha 7:43
12. Your Return 5:46
13. It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)/Quimbara 3:57
PLAYERS & INSTRUMENTS:
Raquel
Cepeda Vocals
Barry Sames Piano
Thomas Helton
Double Bass
Cassio Duarte Percussion
Adriano
Santos Drums
Orlando Fuentes Drums
Ernesto Vega Sax & Flute
Felix de Leon Trumpet
Hector Molina Cuatro
Artist: Raquel Cepeda
CD Title: Passion
Label: Raquel
Cepeda Music LLC
Street Date: October 18, 2019
Add Date: October 28, 2019
