Venezuelan merengue to the Dominicans
Zeta Magazine, No. 1620
Caracas, Venezuela 7/27/2007
Prisca is the Venezuelan pianist who shines on worldwide stages where she’s harvested the title of musical revelation.
Venezuelan pianist Prisca Dávila gave a concert at “Casa De Teatro Jazz Festival 2007”, one of the most prestigious jazz festivals in The Caribbean, on July 19th causing a great commotion on the audience. The creole pianist based her repertoire mostly on Venezuelan merengue, a very different merengue style compare to the Dominican one that had caused great expectations on the Caribbean island.
The plain truth is that the quisqueyanos, native of the Dominican Republic, enjoyed the creole rhythm and the Venezuelan pianist put another feather in her hat.
A very special ingredient was part of Prisca’s show since she had the courage to stick her neck out by playing various songs within the Venezuelan merengue style right on an island known for being the cradle of merengue. The result just turned into a breakthrough since the Dominicans were astonished with this creole rhythm that enabled Prisca to make a plug for a cultural exchange.
It is important to highlight that Prisca had just recently given a concert at the Musica Do Pan Festival in Brasil where the Brazilian music critics hailed her the music revelation of the festival, which is a sign that Venezuelan music is living it up.
Music
Escenas, Olivia Liendo, El Nacional,
Tuesday June 26th. 2007 Caracas, Venezuela.
The pianist will be playing in Brazil and The Dominican Republic
Waltzes and joropos with Prisca Dávila
In her third outing entitled Piano En Canto Venezolano, The pianist performs popular songs from various Venezuelan regions.
Last week, Prisca was featured in Brazil where the critics acclaimed her. “La Hoja Cultural” pointed “Extraordinary piano technique…” and “Veja” wrote “a representative of the new generation of Venezuelan music, the pianist and composer blends classical music with contemporary jazz without compromising her Latin-American roots”.
The concert was part of the “Musica Do Pan Festival” which took place at Banco Do Brasil Cultural Center in Rio de Janeiro. The event was created to foment the integration of musicians from around the world.
Dávila shared stage with musicians from nine different countries among which were Ravi Coltrane (USA), Pablo Ziegler (Argentina) and Sammy Figueroa (Puerto Rico). Bassist Heriberto Rojas, drummer Miguel Hernández and Eduardo Dávila accompanied the Venezuelan pianist on flute and sax.
Prisca performed a set of songs that included a collection of music from her three albums with emphasis on her latest album “Piano En Canto Venezolano” in which she’s also a singer.
Her latest work includes rhythms and styles that can be listened in “Montilla”, a larense strike; Zumba Que Zumba”, a joropo from the Venezuelan lowlands; “Lucerito” a ballad form known as tonada composed by Luis Mariano Rivera; “Destellos De Amor” by Armando Molero; and the onda nueva classic “Carretera” by Aldemaro Romero, among others.
“I think I represent Venezuela and its music so I think that I have the responsability to spread it worldwide. These festivals are a great opportunity for those audiences to become more interested in knowing our wonderful musical richness”, pointed the singer who was recently featured in France, Korea and Spain.
Her second fusion outing
“Estoy Aquí” Prisca Dávila’s Way
Meridiano, Caracas, December 29, 2006
Young Venezuelan pianist Prisca Dávila is enjoying a blissful time since her new CD Estoy Aquí is gaining acceptance among music lovers. The album continues to interweave jazz and academic music with the traditional music of Venezuela.
Besides the piano, she’s coalesced percussion, bass and flute for her second outing. Prisca has been under the teachings of Olegario Díaz, Gonzalo Micó and Gerry Weil, among others. The later one says of her work: “she gives off a vitality and a confident technique that results in a translucent recording of diverse dynamic hues combined with jazzy improvisations, but always with a Venezuelan touch”.
Back in December 2002, she received Honorific Mention for the best merengue interpretation during the First Venezuelan Piano National Contest. The event prompted her to record her first album called Piano Jazz Venezolano, a musical work based on the fusion of classical music dynamics, hues and techniques, the improvisation and harmonies of contemporary jazz and the looseness, swing and rhythms of Venezuela.
Estoy Aquí |
In regards to the album Estoy Aqui, Prisca tells us: “the CD contains sung songs and instrumental themes. The songs were composed by Ilan Chester, Aldemaro Romero and myself. It is a transitional album between the solo piano work and the accompanied one*”.
What kind of music do you listen to?
I’m open minded in that sense as long as there’s good quality in it. I listen to almost anything. From Chano Domínguezl, Ensamble Gurrufío and Aldemaro Romero to Rubén Blades, Ilan Chester, Sting, Ricky Rey and Diana Krall among many others.
What musical style do you prefer?
“My musical education came from Gerry Weil who taught jazz, María Auxiliadora Díaz who taught me academic music and then there´s the traditional Venezuelan music. From the later one, I love the caracas merengue style, the waltz, the pajarillo and the joropo. I also recorded a Venezuelan indigenous song by the Warao tribe”.
Fusing all musical tendencies is what she loves the most. “I believe Venezuelan music is living a great moment. It’s just ideal to launch it to the rest of the world”.
The songs included in this CD are: Frigiando Merengue, El Negro José, Prisca, Leyenda, Vals Criollo Número 2, El Pilón, Así No Más, Estoy Aquí, Setoconao y Pikirillo Prisca is accompanied by her father Eduardo Dávila on flute, Giovanni Ramírez on upright bass and bass guitar, Adolfo Herrera on drums and handclaps, Roberto Castillo on percussion and backing vocals by Marisela Leal and César Muñoz.
PRISCA BRINGS THE VENEZUELAN ENCHANMENT
IN HER PIANO AND VOICE
El Nuevo País, Caracas, November 23, 2006
By Roberto Palmitesta
Foto: Prisca Dávila, one of the country´s best pianists gives an important step in her career with the release of her third album.
Prisca Dávila, one of Venezuela’s premiere pianist, delivers her third musical outing entitled Piano En Canto Venezolano. Prisca intends to reach a broader audience with this album of twelve straight but complex songs in which she’s accomplished a difficult balance between jazz and Venezuelan popular music in order to satisfy both audiences.
William Sigismondi whose previous experience as arranger and producer includes stints with infamous Ilan Chester for his albums “Cancionero Del Amor Venezolano” and “Ilan Canta Onda Nueva”, took the same duty for Piano En Canto Venezolano.
Prisca is featured today at a concert in a well-known cultural center in La Castellana where she’ll present part of her new project.
It was just a bit over a year that you released your second album, Estoy Aquí. What propelled you to release another album so quickly?
Things just turned out in such a way to happen as they did. However, I must say that I keep on playing, writing, composing and studying the music of Venezuela… and well, I just wanted to imprint those ideas.
What’s the difference between Piano En Canto Venezolano and your two previous releases?
The first one was a solo piano work. Then, I sang some tunes on the second one where I explored the traditional music in a more popular form. This time around I intend to reach the jazz followers as well as the popular ones by singing all songs.
The CD title relates the enchantment of the Venezuelan music to your piano.
This is because the album encompasses rhythms and styles from various regions of the country. From Montilla which is a golpe larense, a music from the central-western section of the country, to Zumba Que Zumba, a joropo llanero, music from the plains. There is also a song entitled Heladero Con Clase which is a merengue caraqueño composed by Luis Laguna or the piece called Lucerito a tonada, a heartfelt song, by Luis Mariano Rivera or the danza zuliana, zuliana dance Destellos De Amor by Armando Moleiro. Even the classic Carretera by Aldemaro Romero is included.
How was your relationship with producer William Sigismondi?
William is an excellent professional. He worked with Ilan Chester for the albums “Ilan Canta Onda Nueva” and “Cancionero Del Amor Venezolano”. I worked with him because I considered him the ideal person for what I had in mind with this project.
You have a close relationship with Ilan Chester. How has he influenced your music?
My father and Ilan have been friends for a long time now. Ilan is like an uncle to me and there’s no doubt about his influence in my music and so there’s the influence of Aldemaro Romero and my teacher Gerry Weil, too.
Who played with you in the album?
There were some virtuosos of the local musical scene who took part on this project. Among them are electric bassist Rodner Padilla, acoustic bassist Roberto Koch, drummer Gerardo López, percussionist Alexander Livinalli and my father, Eduardo Dávila, on flute. William Sigismondi and Bárbara Frómeta did the backing vocal parts.
You´ll be giving a concert tonight in La Castellana and you’re going to have special guests who’s been for long in the business.
Yes. Internationally acclaimed percussionist Pibo Márquez will be there. Kapicúa, a novel and promising group of Venezuelan music, and a corporal percussion group led by Roberto Castillo will be there too giving a great show tonight.
You represented Venezuela in music festivals in Spain and Korea. What plans do you have internationally speaking?
First of all, I want to release the CD and promote it. I have no doubts about playing abroad. I’d really love to play in The United States and repeat the experience I had in Spain.
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“From the first time when listening to the CD, you realize that she centers the youthful creative ideas full of moments of experimental audacities , dreams and hopes , as well in this case, lot of expectations for those who works over the Venezuelan music. "
“This Recording is designed to sow new colors of the piano paying in our country, in the way of the best spirit of a new relieving generation with free styles, authentic offers and, still ,best yet, fulfilled with a soul that shows respect to the traditions to the point of daring to innovate with their foundations.”
Marina Bravo Pastrano and Federico Pacanins, In Caracas, on May 28, 2004
“Pianist, singer, composer, music teacher, are among some of the faces of this charismatic artist, who forms a part of her soul in her first record production”
Maria Grazia Vivenzio, Fascination, on May 15, 2004
The woman of the piano
“Prisca Dávila is a composer, interpreter, that at her early 8 years old , it was published her first book of poems and later on at the age of 25, she independently produced her first CD, named ¨ Venezuelan Piano Jazz ¨. With a good concurrency of efforts, that may well be we are facing a Venezuelan Diana Krall.”
Laura Castillo, Todo en Domingo, the 28th of March, 2004.
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