Graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Berklee College of Music, after receiving the Best Achievement Scholarship, Marta Gómez has developed an extensive music career in the US which has placed her as one of the most interesting singer songwriters on the world music scene today.
Marta and her group perform a repertoire of original compositions based on a vast amount of rhythms from Latin America. On her songs, Marta mixes the joy of the Caribbean with the nostalgia of the Andes adding jazz and pop elements, taking the authenticity of South American indigenous folk music into a hip new realm.
With more than 70 composed songs, This young singer-songwriter not only traverses a whole range of Colombian cumbias and bambucos, Argentine zambas, Cuban sones and Peruvian landos but she also writes the kind of melodies and refrains that translate across whatever language she is singing in. That may be the reason that lead Marta to share the stage with musicians of different genres such as Bonnie Raitt , John Mayer, Totó la Momposina and Mercedes Sosa.
Marta was also chosen to record Kris Kristofferson’s “The Circle” on a tribute to this great American icon. Marta “lifted that song up to when it’s supposed to be, to where it belongs” According to Kristofferson’s own words. American writer John Sandford made a reference to that version of "the circle" on his novel "Dark of the moon" (2007)
In March 2003, Marta’s song "Paula Ausente" based on the book "Paula" by Isabel Allende, won the
The SIBL Project International songwriting contest as the best song inspired by a South American book. The song was included on a CD among others by artists such as Tom Waits and David Bowie."Paula Ausente" was also included on the Putumayo Compilation "Women of the world: Acustic"(2007). Her song “La Ronda” was included before in other Putumayo compilation entitled “Women of Latin America” (2004) and in 2005 Marta was chosen by “Fucsia”, a Colombian magazine as one of the 5 Most representative Colombian women of the year.With five albums under her belt, her self-released "Solo es vivir" was chosen by The Boston Globe as one of the 10 best albums of 2003 and her "Cantos de Agua Dulce" (2004) released by Chesky Records, was nominated for the Billboard Latin Music Awards as the best Latin Jazz Album of the year among Paco de Lucia’s, Nestor Torres’ and Gonzalo Rubalcaba’s. Her album “Entre Cada Palabra” (2005 chesky records) placed Marta Gómez as “The Best National World-Music Artist of 2006” by the Boston Phoenix/
Marta and her group are currently promoting their new album "Musiquita" (2009) released by Aluna Records. The group perform in several cities around Europe on the firs period of 2009 with great acceptance by audiences of all origins
In an interview on the National Public Radio, journalist Steve Inskeep said he admires Marta’s capacity of “turning the bitter history of her native country into sweet music”. (Picture by LaGusto photography 2005)
My storyMarta Gomez and her group perform a repertoire composed entirely by original songs based on a fascinating variety of rhythms from all over Latin America including Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and Argentina mixed with jazz and pop elements. Originally from Colombia, the singer started to compose songs exploring her roots, but when she met the Argentinean musicians to form her group, they decided to share their musical backgrounds to create a distinctive blend of music that reflects the sound and culture of South America.
Franco (Drums and percussion) has performed and recorded with some of the best folklore musicians in Argentina, such as Lucho Hoyos, Cesar Isella, Raúl Carnota and Leopoldo Deza. In the U.S. he has played with Bonnie Raitt, John Mayer, Jeff Ballard, Bruce Barth, Oscar Stagnaro, Chris Cheek, Guillermo Klein and Claudio Ragazzi among many others. He graduated from Berklee College of Music, and he has studied and developed a unique style based on folklore percussion techniques. For more information, visit FrancoPinna.com and My Space
Argentinean bassist Fernando has performed with Mike Stern, Danilo Perez, Dave Weckl, David Sanchez, Dave Liebman, Claudio Roditi, Tom Harrell, Jeff Ballard, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Bruce Barth and Dave Kikoski. He teaches bass at Berklee College of Music. He has recorded more than 70 albums and toured with many latin-jazz artists from around the world. For more information visit FernandoHuergo.com and My Space
Juancho Herrera started his musical journey with the influence of the Venezuelan music tradition. Juancho has worked as a guitarist and vocalist for several bands while living in Venezuela. Juancho Herrera traveled to the U.S. in 1993 to continue his studies at Berklee College of Music, were he received a scholarship as a guitarist. He has recorded several CDs as band leader and sideman, and has performed in very prestigious venues such as The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Shibuya Koukaido in Tokyo, Centro Cultural La Estancia in Caracas, Carnegie Hall in New York, among others. He has also performed extensively in Venezuela, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Japan, U.K.and the U.S.
He has collaborated and performed with several artists including: Claudia Acuña (Jazz), Haydee Milanes (Cuban/Pop), Tsidii Le Loka (South African vocalist Tony Award winner), Nestor Torres (Grammy Award winner), Lila Downs (Grammy award winner), Eric Wainaina (Kora Award winner), Jerry Rivera (Salsa-Pop), Aquiles Báez (Calle 54, Paquito D Rivera, Giora Feidman), Rebecca Fanya (Marc Anthony, Harry Belafonte), Pablo Ablanedo Group (Argentinean Jazz), Jenny Sheinman Quartet (avant-garde jazz, Bill Frisell, John Zorn), Francisco Pacheco (Un Solo Pueblo), Yordamis Megret (Bamboleo), Brazooca Band (featuring Alon Yavnai, Didi Gutman, Paulo Levy), Crossroads Ensemble (collaboration with Mattan Klein), among others. Currently Juancho is working on the promotion of his latest CD which was produced in collaboration with Producer/Engineer Fernando Aponte, can be heard at My Space
Born in Otavalo Ecuador, Roberto started playing Andean music at the age of 8. Roberto is founder and active member of the Group Yarina, a music and dance ensemble based in the US. He left Ecuador at the age of 14 to perform in Colombia and Italy before settling in Boston in 1991. Roberto has performed and recorded with many distinguished musicians such as Alex Alvear, Raul Midon, Jean-Baptiste Bocle, Marta Gomez, Leo Blanco, Michel Gonzalez and more. He is self-taught in native South American instruments such as: zampoñas, quenas, pallas, rondador, charango and more.
You can hear Roberto's music atMy Space