Marta Gómez Quintet

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.

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. Later on her song “La Ronda” was included in the Putumayo World Music compilation entitled “Women of Latin America” and in 2005 Marta was chosen by “Fucsia”, a Colombian magazine as one of the 5 Most representative Colombian women of the year.

With four 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 most recently released album “Entre Cada Palabra” (2005 chesky records) placed Marta Gómez as “The Best National World-Music Artist of 2006” by the Boston Phoenix. 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)

Marta 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 Argentinean musicians Julio Santillan, Franco Pinna and Fernando Huergo, they decided to share their musical backgrounds to create a distinctive blend of music that reflects the sound and culture of South America.

Franco Pinna
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.

Fernando Huergo
Fernando (Bass) 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

Yulia Musayelyan
This young multitalented flutist and composer was born in Russia where she studied at the Gnessin School of music before relocating in the States to enter the Manhattan School of Music in New York. Yulia has extensive experience in the classical, contemporary, jazz and world music genres. She has won many awards and distinctions such as the "National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts Award" and the "National Merit Foundation" scholarship award. Yulia has toured the US, England, Scotland, France, Latvia, Venezuela and Cuba with various musical projects. She has performed at the 2001 Montreux Jazz off-Festival in Switzerland. Yulia has recorded with artists of diverse genres around the world such as Marta Topferova, Hector Martignon, The Massachusetts Flute Choir, and the Manhattan School of Music Opera Orchestra among others. For more information, visit yuliamusayelyan.com

Emilio Teubal
Emilio Teubal (piano) was born in Madrid, Spain in 1976 but grew up in Argetnina where he started playing the piano at the age of nine. He studied piano at the National Conservatory of Buenos Aires, and composition, arranging, and orchestration with private teachers. He was a very active performer in the tango and jazz scene of Buenos Aires until 1999, when he moved to New York City to continue his musical studies. In the United States, Emilio earned a BFA in Music from the City College of New York, graduating magna cum laude, and achieved the Zolot Award, recognizing him as the most talented student. He also received the Bushwick Composition Award for two consecutive years. At CCNY his teachers included prominent jazz figures such as Marc Copland, Scott Reeves, Bruce Barth, Mike Holober, John Pattitucci, Cliff Korman and Alison Dean. You can hear Emilio’s music at Emilio Teubal.