By Morgan Rousseau
Whitestone musician and composer Edmar Castaneda’s newly released album “Entre Cuerdas” infuses jazz with the haunting sounds of his harp. The album’s title translates to “Between the Strings,” a sentiment that reflects Castaneda’s hope his music will touch people’s hearts.
Released in July, the unconventional album features nine tracks that mingle traditional Colombian music with Latin jazz. The underlying tone of the album centers on Cataneda’s religious faith.
“I believe it is a gift of God, playing the harp,” Castaneda said. “There is one track in the album called ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’ I work for him.”
Castaneda’s creative use of the harp, an instrument traditionally associated with classical music, adds a haunting dimension of delicate calm to the vigorous vibe of Latin jazz.
Born in Bogota, Colombia, Castaneda started playing the Colombian harp at the age of 13. After moving to New York at 16 he quickly fell in love with jazz.
“In the beginning I learned to play traditional Colombian folk music. Then when I was 16 I met jazz, and after that it was a mix of everything,” Castaneda said.
By blending traditional Colombian folk music with Latin jazz, Castaneda has established a place for himself as a versatile and original musician with international appeal.
Castaneda’s trio is composed of trombonist Marshall Gilkes and drummer Dave Silliman.
“I used to have a sextet before,” he said. “I knew these guys, so I called them. I was recording my first album [‘Cuarto De Colores,’ 2004] and we were doing the sound check. I could tell it worked.”
The album also features guest artists John Scofield on guitar, Andrea Tierra on vocals, Joe Locke on vibes and Samuel Torres on percussion.
“Each of them had something very special. I met them through concerts,” Castaneda said.
Adding to the intensity of the album is Castaneda’s transformation of his harp into a lead instrument, producing cross-rhythms like a drummer and chordal flourishes similar to a flamenco guitarist.
“The instrument sounds like two. It’s like having a bass player and a piano player,” Castaneda said. “The left hand is like the bass and the right hand is the piano player.”
Because of his unique style of playing with two hands, Castaneda is able to simultaneously pluck dynamic bass lines and pick out melodies.
Castaneda tours regularly as the leader of the Edmar Castaneda Trio, together with trombone and drums. He has also performed with notable musicians Wynton Marsalis, Pablo D’Riviera and Giovanni Hidalgo, among others.
He recently opened for D’Riviera at the Blue Note and played at the CAMAC Harp Festival. His next gig will be at Birdland’s Django Reinhardt Festival on Nov. 6.
For more information on a schedule of performances, “Entre Cuerdas” (2009) and “Cuarto De Colores” (2004) visit edmarcastaneda.com. The albums can also be purchased at artistshare.com.
