Melvis Santa - piano, vocals, percussion, compositions
Liany Mateo - upright bass
Ivanna Cuesta - drums
Gata Jazz is the newest creation of 2x Grammy award nominee, vocalist and pianist Melvis Santa. In the jazz world, being called a "cat" is the ultimate mark of musical respect. Gata Jazz the feminine Spanish translation—claims that title for the woman's perspective.
Melvis Santa presents Gata Jazz, a NYC-based all-female trio dedicated to diversifying the sonic landscape of modern jazz. For Melvis, the name symbolizes musical respect and female empowerment. Integrating Afro-Cuban avant-garde, blues, and Latin influences, the ensemble explores the intersectional diasporic experiences of women in a historically male- dominated scene.
ABOUT MELVIS SANTA
Born and raised in La Habana, Cuba, Melvis came to performance at an early age. Classically trained on piano and voice, she made a splash at 14 by founding the all-female collective and JoJazz winner ensemble Sexto Sentido, deemed by Chucho Valdés “the best Cuban vocal quartet of the past 30 years.” Currently based in New York, Melvis continues to make a mark as a performer and educator, adding to the Afro-Cuban jazz movement set forth by her ancestors. She received the BKCM’s Jazz Leaders Fellowship Award.
The New York Times defined her style as possessing 70`s soul underpinnings, yet belonging to the Afro Cuban musical traditions.
Melvis guest-lectured at NYU, Fordham Univ. and conducted artist-in-residence programs at UArts, Tulane, Boulder Univ. and Chicago Jazz Philharmonic as well as in Europe, Australia and Latinoamerica. Her work as a bandleader features Ashedi (Afro-Cuban traditions) Ellas-Son (all-female Latin jazz group), La Rumba de Santa (Cuban rumba), and most recently, Jazz Orishas, a multi-dimensional ensemble featuring her original compositions. These bands have showcased in NYC’s iconic venues like Birdland, Minton’s, Lincoln Center, Zinc Bar, The Jazz Gallery, National Jazz Museum in Harlem, and BRIC JazzFestival.
Collaborations includes Kenny Garrett Sextet, Charles Tolliver, Andy Bey, Ravi Coltrane, Steve Coleman, Arturo O’Farrill & ALJA, Chucho Valdes, Mayra Caridad Valdés, Xiomara Laugart, David Virelles, Roman Diaz, Pedrito Martinez, Brooklyn Raga Massive, Gilles Peterson, Buena Vista Social Club, Rumberos de Cuba, and Muñequitos de Matanzas.
"Gata Jazz is more than a cool name; it’s a reclaim of musical honor.” Santa explains. I chose the Spanish translation to celebrate our shared Caribbean roots (Cuba and the DR). Gata Jazz serves as a bridge between generations, acknowledging the lineage of defiant women who preserved Afro-Latin traditions in jazz, while pushing the boundaries of this ever evolving genre that inspire us so much.”
“The singer, pianist, composer and activist Melvis Santa is a young guru, a storyteller who makes a point of integrating the Black diaspora with her Cuban heritage, Afro Cuban traditions and American/Latin jazz influence she continues to digest since her arrival to New York City.” -Ronald E. Scott for Amsterdam News
“The singer, pianist, composer and activist Melvis Santa is a young guru, a storyteller who makes a point of integrating the Black diaspora with her Cuban heritage, Afro Cuban traditions and American/Latin jazz influence she continues to digest since her arrival to New York City.”