Born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Sandujazz is an ensemble devoted to the sounds of the African, Caribbean, and Latin American idiosyncrasies. Since 2019, the group has released its first trilogy of albums blending Jazz Fusion and Salsa styles, with psychedelic influences.
LATEST RELEASES
Spotify
Apple Music
YouTube
VIDEOS
Demo!
Workshop!
Live Concert!
PHOTOS
Upcoming Performances
In Tampa
- September 28th - Concert @ Gasparilla Music Festival - Downtown
In St. Petersburg
- September 29th - Jazz Brunch @ Grand Central Brewery
In Georgia
- November 1st - Sandujazz Live at The Loft - Columbus Downtown
HISTORY
Their debut album, "Why Isn't Anyone Dancing?" (2020) gives a taste of the band's energetic attitude and eclectic style during live performances: on the loose and highly improvised, while also paying tribute to Peruvian Psychedelic Cumbia (Chicha) and jazz greats like Herbie Hancock and Ricardo Ray.
“PLANTAIN”, of 2020, is the sound of Sandujazz created in collaboration with Alkebulan Music Philosophy, a collective of Master Percussionists that devote to the music of West African nations and their traditional peoples. This album features a powerful wall of percussion, djembe virtuosity, and a Bachunta: the successful combination between a Bachata and the Honduran Punta.
The year 2022 started with the release of Sandujazz's third album, "Niño Kbron", which has a conceptual album sequencing, an exciting inclusion of synthesizers (a heartfelt tribute to King Crimson), and a horn section for some of the compositions, in a Bruno Pernadas or Arthur Verocai fashion.
The summer of 2023 peaked with the culmination of Sandujazz's fourth album, "Matizando". On this occasion, the ensemble shows evidence of their artistic evolution with a very effective and concise material selection and sequencing, blending ingredients from Jazz styles more than ever before. Furthermore, the timbral aspects of this production are a quantum leap in the musical discourse of the band, especially with shorter compositions, more analog instruments rather than digital, and the inclusion of a mixed string/horn section for specific textures.
As the Sandujazz family moves people's hearts and hips with their music, the ensemble dives into the future where many soundscapes lie forevermore. Our music carries the rich heritage from our childhoods, from culture in Latin America, from grooves of the Caribbean, from all the history of jazz, from the powerful lineage that ties us to Mother Africa, and from Mississippi’s mysticism, where we learned what the Blues means to humanity.
WHO ARE WE?
Alex Ocón is a recent graduate of the University of South Florida, where he obtained a master's degree in Jazz Studies with a specialization in Drum Set Performance under the mentoring of Prof. Jack Wilkins and Dave Rudolph. His journey in music performance began in the United States at The University of Southern Mississippi, where he pursued a bachelor's degree in Classical and World Percussion under the mentorship of the renowned rudiments master, Dr. John Wooton.
With a profound connection to the world of music from a young age, Alex's true passion for rhythm and percussion emerged at the age of 12 when he joined the National Conservatory of Music FRDZ in Honduras. Alex's artistic philosophy is the fusion of world-sound elements. Alex has recorded various series of albums and co-founded the fusion band Sandujazz. In addition, he has performed and given workshops in Colombia, Brazil, Schwob School of Music (US), Jazz Columbus Society, New Orleans, and other parts of the US South region.
Throughout his career, Alex Ocón has had the privilege of sharing the stage with renowned figures in the music industry, including Tom "Bones" Malone, Sir James Galway, Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez, Mark Ford, Jovino Santos Neto, Bill Summers, Andy Narell, Victor Provost, and Vasti Jackson. Alex performs and teaches in the southwest Florida area performing around Tampa, St. Petersburg, Orlando, and surrounding cities.
Julián Pernett Castilla’s pronounced natural talents in music, specifically in Latin percussion instruments – given his valuable cultural heritage from the Colombian Caribbean Coast – have always provided him with an abundance of musical gifts to share with the world. He is a passionate instrumentalist, concert pianist, and educator trained in the Western European musical tradition and the discipline of Improvisation in the Jazz style. This addition to an already rich, musical skillset has opened the door to fully explore musical thoughts with all options at hand, and beyond the realms of piano performance, making each creation a truly personal expression through music.
An important part of his musical awareness and ongoing development of his craft has been participating in numerous masterclasses at national and international music festivals, in addition to interacting, performing, and having memorable mentorships with many renowned musicians of diverse genres and disciplines such as Larry Panella, Bill Summers, Alexis Cole, Don Preston, Luigi Zaninelli, Blanca Uribe, Edoardo Torbianelli, Lang Lang, and the late Chick Corea.
Nowadays, Julián devotes his creativity to producing original music and performing with different projects that showcase his musical influences and talents as both a pianist and keyboardist. Among these: a Brazilian progressive rock tribute band, Kumaru; a jazz fusion power trio, L.A.C. Connection; a New Orleans jazz project, Schaff/Wall Collective; and The Sokolowski Trombone Project, an ensemble devoted to the tradition of ‘Bone Bands in Jazz music.
Recently a Master’s graduate of the Jazz department at the University of South Florida, Julián now embarks on new musical adventures, sharing the sound of Sandujazz in more countries every year.
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Alex Ocón
+19045049009
+19096782774
Julián Pernett
sandujazzofficial@gmail.com
