Innovative and yet relying on her roots Brenda Navarrete has an excellent grasp on Cuban music. A mix of World Music, Jazz and Afro-Cuban rhythms music, Brenda is a vital voice representing the talents of Cuban youth. Her sound is infectious showing music is universal. When you listen to her either pounding out or softly lifting rhythms off her percussive instruments, as well as when she sings, feelings of excitement, appreciation, comfort, and reflection can all rise to the surface.
Her skill is difficult to match; her love of music nearly impossible to emulate. Brenda Navarrete ‘is’ the music she creates and plays. Magical, is probably the best word to describe the musical talent expressed through her music. Brenda not only provides people around the world with the opportunity to appreciate her talent. But, it is also her ability to allow us to nurture from Cuba’s rich musical heritage.
Listening to one of her latest releases, “Rumbero Como Yo” was a completely satisfying experience – intellectually and emotionally. The rhythms and melodies that Brenda strings together are heavenly – while the technical mastery of the musicians involved on the recording is unbelievable. The direct, pure, clean, emotional quality of the playing on this track is incredible – it is one of the most joyful, energetic recordings I have heard recently.
You will soon find yourself tapping your feet and shaking your shoulders! No matter what kind of mood you are in, this music will lift your morale and make you want to get up and dance! A part from her undoubted technical and vocal prowess, Brenda Navarrete has plenty of soul and spirit which she passes on to the listener through her music.
Checkout Brenda Navarrete – The Making of…Rumbero Como Yo:
MORE ABOUT Brenda Navarrete is one of Cuba’s great young talents and a legitimate rising star in Havana and across the country, where she has been heating up stages and airwaves for quite some time. Her resume includes collaborations with Cuba’s music elite, while her solo project includes television and radio broadcasts of live performances, as well as touring in Canada and the United States.
Building on a solid foundation of Latin Jazz and Afro-Cuban influences, Brenda has spread her wings into contemporary World Music. After some intensive time recording and mixing in Havana and Montreal studios, she released three new singles in March 2016 for her upcoming debut CD, Mi Mundo. The singles, Rumbero Como Yo, Namaste and Taita Bilongo are available via all online music stores.
From her beginnings at the Manuel Saumell Elementary School of Music at age 9, Brenda set her sights on percussion and a career in music. She moved on to graduate from Cuba’s prestigious Amadeo Roldán Music Conservatory in 2009, earning accreditation as an instrumentalist, ensemble and percussion instructor. Working with an array of renowned artists, including the Afro-Cuban percussion troupe, Obini Bata, Jazz musician Joaquin Betancourt, Alain Perez, Munir Hossn and as a singer with the internationally acclaimed band Interactivo, Brenda has made her mark as an accomplished singer, percussionist, composer and arranger.
During Cuba’s prestigious Fiesta del Tambor, Brenda won 1st place in the Bata drum category and for best interpretation by a female artist. Her percussion skills first earned her an artist endorsement contract in 2013 with Canadian company Sabian. In March 2016, she was signed to a second endorsement deal by the Gon Bops percussion company, joining their roster of some of the world’s most talented percussionists.
Brenda Navarrete is preparing to bring her unique interpretation of contemporary World Music to the global stage with her most recent project. After performing several shows in Toronto and Montreal in 2015, her sights are set on the world festival circuit.