On Nov. 18, the City College Center for the Arts (CCA) in New York and Latin Jazz USA will present “Candido: The Last Legendary Music Journey,” a night of music celebrating the 70th anniversary of percussionist Candido Camero’s first performance in the U.S.
Known as “the first percussionist to popularize conga drumming in jazz,” according to a press release, the 95-year-old NEA Jazz Master will perform along with Amaury Acosta & (U)nity, Benjamin Lapidus, Xiomara Laugart, Rome Neal, David Oquendo, Mitch Frohman and Bobby Sanabria. The concert, which starts at 7:30 p.m., will be hosted by SiriusXM Radio personality Nelson Radhames Rodriguez, who will receive a Latin Jazz USA Chico O’Farrill Lifetime Achievement Award alongside Frohman, Lapidus and Louis Laffitte, a Latin-jazz radio personality.
In addition to the concert, there will also be an exhibition, “An Artist’s Tribute to Candido,” by Hispanic-American artists Asunción, Luis Cruz Azaceta, ENOE, Erasmo Jorge Gómez, Frank Guiller, José Pascual Hijuelos, Carlos Mateus and Luis Alvarez Roure, which will run from Nov. 13-22 at the gallery at Aaron Davis Hall in Harlem. On Nov. 18 at 6 p.m., Roure’s portrait of the “Father of Modern Conga Drumming” will be unveiled.
For more information on “Candido: The Last Legendary Music Journey,” visit citycollegecenterforthearts.org.
