PONKÉ & LA CIUDAD DEL JAZZ - Family concert
Ponké & La Ciudad del Jazz (Ponké & The City of Jazz) is a didactic show that seeks to arouse curiosity about jazz and convey the idea that freedom is a journey, a constant search for self-expression and connection with others. Through jazz, the character and audience discover that freedom can be found in music, in the community and the ability to be oneself.
The main character is a curious and questioning young man named Ponké. He is obsessed with the idea of freedom and wonders what it really means. He hears rumors about a City of Jazz where freedom resides in its purest form and decides to go on a journey to find it.
When he gets there, he discovers that the City of Jazz is not just a place, but a spirit, a living story. He learns that it was born out of sadness & oppression, but that jazz was its way of rebelling and finding happiness. Ponké gets to know the Laloka Jazz Band, a diverse group of musicians from all corners of the city. By means of their stories and music, the character and audience learn about the origins of jazz from blues & gospel, to ragtime and the first bands of New Orleans; the Swing Era, the period of great dance bands and the explosion in jazz popularity; bebop with the jazz revolution, improvisation and harmonic complexity; hard bop, jazz fusion… and much more.
The story is intertwined with simple explanations and participatory concepts such as improvisation (the ability to create music on the spot, without planning), creativity (the freedom to express oneself through music in an original manner), melody (the main line of music, song), harmony (the chords and combinations of notes that give depth to the melody), rhythm (the pulse/beat and pattern of music) and freedom (the capability to break the rules and express oneself without restriction). Regarding audience participation, the show encourages children and parents to actively participate, by either singing, dancing, or interacting with the narrator.
Band:
Miguel Ramírez – Sax & narrative
Miky Delgado – Piano & vocals
Alba Serrano – Vocals
Suso Vega – Drums
Kervin Barreto – Trumpet
Franklin Castillo – Trombone
Efraín Martín de Damián – Actor