The Rulon Brown jazz quartet visited Nicaragua Feb. 20-23

February 23, 2013

The Rulon Brown jazz quartet workshop in León

The Rulon Brown jazz quartet workshop in León

The Seattle-based Rulon Brown jazz quartet visited Nicaragua February 20-23to participate in the 6th annual International Jazz Festival of Nicaragua.  Touring three cities, the group performed original and improvisational pieces in free public concerts and master classes in Diriamba, León and Managua.

Using old jazz traditions of jams and call-and-response, the Rulon Brown quartet inspired young Nicaraguan musicians to join in the activities.  “Experiment!  Don’t be afraid of errors in music,” they emphasized, demonstrating that mistakes in music often create the new sound.  The quartet personified the creativity and equality of jazz, drawing rave reviews from attendees for the group’s original use and combination of sounds and instruments.

Many of the most enduring musical genres in the U.S. – Jazz, Blues and Soul for example – are the products of diverse cultures, traditions and rhythms which were converging in the beginning of the 20th century.  The emergence of this new music occurred among African American communities, but also with influences from a variety of regional sources, including Latin America. 

The visit of the Rulon Brown quartet in February and their participation in the International Jazz Festival of Nicaragua was particularly significant as February is the month Americans commemorate African American history in the United States.