Home » Jazz Musicians » Venissa Santi
Venissa Santi
Venissa’s artistry stems from the necessity to express the many influences that have nourished her spirit as a Cuban American. She was born in Ithaca, New York and hails from a long line of Cuban artists. But it was her grandfather, Jacobo Ros Capablanca, a Cuban composer who instilled in her a life-long passion for music. As a child she grew up listening to the sounds of Ravel, Celia Cruz and Michael Jackson as well as theatrical productions and jazz. After completing high school, she moved to Philadelphia, where she enrolled at the University of the Arts, connected with her Cuban roots (via her grandfather’s compositions) and majored in Jazz Vocal Performance. After graduation, she became actively involved in Philadelphia’s Latin community and music scene and began her career as a vocal instructor with the Asociación de Músicos Latino Americanos, better known as AMLA. Over time she performed with a variety of Latin, jazz and World music groups. It was from the support and encouragement of this community that inspired Venissa to embark on the first of four life changing visits to Cuba, where she conducted research and studied Afro Cuban song, dance and percussion. She was under the tutelage of Master Gregorio "El Goyo" Hernandez and Masters dancers from Yoruba Andabo, Arturo Clave y Guaganco, Afro-Cuba de Matanzas and Irosso Oba and reconnected with her relatives in Cuba. In 2004 she became a wife and mother and went into isolation in order to process all of the information she had absorbed in Cuba. Venissa began to compose, what she calls "the soundtrack of her life’s journey thus far." The result is an audacious new sound that defies borders, language and categorization. In 2008 Venissa won the prestigious Pew Fellowship, for Folk and Traditional Arts. In 2009, she was signed to Sunnyside Records and released Bienvenida, which immediately climbed to #3 on radio show host and jazz expert, Bob Parlocha’s list of Top Ten recordings. In addition, she has been praised by Latin icon Ruben Blades and pianist, Danilo Perez, who called her treatment of the classic tune, Como Fue, "Audacious!" Venissa is currently promoting her new recording at venues and festivals and is in the process of preparing new material for her highly anticipated follow up to Bienvenida. Perhaps it was Ruben Blades who put it best when he summed things up by saying, "I think we are going to be hearing a lot from this young lady."
Awards
Pew Fellowship 2008
Tags
Venissa Santi: Bienvenida
by Raul d'Gama Rose
The high art of Bienvenida is no accident. This is because its principal performer is the miracle behind it all. Venissa Santi is one of those supremely talented new vocalists who blazes--comet-like, across the musical horizon--but once in a lifetime. She joins the likes of Billie Holiday, Abbey Lincoln, Sheila Jordan, Elis, Rosa, Celia and Flora Purim as the highest practitioners of the art of vocal music. Santi is a sublime artist whose voice floats on the ...
read moreVenissa Santi: Reflections on the Cuban Roots of Bienvenida
by Victor L. Schermer
Singer Venissa Santi's debut, Bienvenida (Sunnyside, 2009) offers a satisfying hybrid of straight-ahead jazz with rhythms from her family's homeland, Cuba. The music is highly listenable and, in many ways, speaks for itself--even to an English-speaking audience. However, the ethnic flavorings may stimulate for some a desire to grasp the meaning of the Spanish lyrics and define the rhythmic variations that occur in the Cuban-based music. To fill the information gap for All About Jazz readers, Santi agreed to offer ...
read moreVenissa Santi: Bienvenida
by Victor L. Schermer
Bienvenida is the debut CD of a singer already attracting attention in the music world. In addition to her finely attuned voice, musical intuition, and grasp of the jazz idiom, Venissa Santi is a Cuban/American who has cultivated the music of her family's country of origin. By immersing herself in Cuban music, Santi has developed a style that is unique yet familiar, specifically ethnic yet reflecting an eclectic mix of styles and motifs. Bienvenida is a welcoming view into a ...
read moreJazz Musician of the Day: Venissa Santi
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Venissa Santi's birthday today! Venissa’s artistry stems from the necessity to express the many influences that have nourished her spirit as a Cuban American. She was born in Ithaca, New York and hails from a long line of Cuban artists. But it was her grandfather, Jacobo Ros Capablanca, a Cuban composer who instilled in her a life-long passion for music. As a child she grew up listening to the sounds of Ravel... Read more. Place ...
read more
Last Hawthorne Park Concert: Venissa Santi Thurs. Sept. 19th
Source:
Jim Miller
The Jazz at Hawthorne Park series concludes with the LAST FREE summer concert of the season at 12th and Catharine Streets in Philadelphia on Thursday, September 19th featuring the Venissa Santi Quartet. Bring a chair and prepare to groove with her Afro-Cuban band. Spend a glorious early evening concert in one of the finest parks the city has to offer. Concert starts at 7 PM. For more info: 215-517-8337 or Jazz Bridge. Santi channels her ideas through percussionist and long-time ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Venissa Santi
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Venissa Santi's birthday today!
Venissa’s artistry stems from the necessity to express the many influences that have nourished her spirit as a Cuban American. She was born in Ithaca, New York and hails from a long line of Cuban artists. But it was her grandfather, Jacobo Ros Capablanca, a Cuban composer who instilled in her a life-long passion for music. As a child she grew up listening to the sounds of Ravel... Read more.
Place ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Venissa Santi
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Venissa Santi's birthday today!
Venissa’s artistry stems from the necessity to express the many influences that have nourished her spirit as a Cuban American. She was born in Ithaca, New York and hails from a long line of Cuban artists. But it was her grandfather, Jacobo Ros Capablanca, a Cuban composer who instilled in her a life-long passion for music. As a child she grew up listening to the sounds of Ravel... Read more.
Place ...
read more
Venissa Santi at Cheltenham Center for the Arts on February 1st
Source:
Jim Miller
Appearing at the Cheltenham Center for the Arts, 439 Ashbourne Rd, Cheltenham, PA on February 1st 2012 will be singer Venissa Santi and her band, featuring pianist John Stenger, Bassist Madison Rast, and percussionist Francois Zayas. One show: 7:30-9PM. Tickets: $10/$5 for students. No advance sales. Free Refreshments! For info: 215-517-8337. This Jazz Bridge Neighborhood Concert Series is sponsored by Jazz Bridge, a 501C3 nonprofit that assists local jazz and blues musicians in crisis. The Cheltenham Neighborhood Concert series is ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Venissa Santi
Source:
All About Jazz is celebrating Venissa Santi's birthday today!
Venissas artistry stems from the necessity to express the many influences that have nourished her spirit as a Cuban American. She was born in Ithaca, New York and hails from a long line of Cuban artists. But it was her grandfather, Jacobo Ros Capablanca, a Cuban composer who instilled in her a life-long passion for music. As a child she grew up listening to the sounds of Ravel...Venissas artistry stems from ...
read more
Venissa Santi Quintet to Play the Jazz Standard July 21st (Two Sets)
Source:
Michael Ricci
Cuban American jazz vocalist Venissa Santi is on a kick of Billie Holiday. She will present an Afro-Cuban tribute to Billie, perform arrangements of favorite and obscure tunes as well as Venissa's signature repertoire.
About Venissa Santi
Venissas artistry stems from the necessity to express the many influences that have nourished her spirit as a Cuban American. She was born in Ithaca, New York and hails from a long line of Cuban artists. But it was her grandfather, ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Venissa Santi
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Venissa Santi's birthday today!
JAZZ MUSICIAN OF THE DAY Venissa Santi
Bienvenida First solo recording. To be released April 21st 2009 on Sunnyside records!! A bilingual album of jazz and Cuban standards, Afro-Cuban folkloric songs, Rumba with original songs in English, Boleros dressed in the blues, and jazz... more
Website | Photos | Articles
Follow Venissa Santi
Put AAJ's Musician of the Day box on ...
read more
Weekly Latin Jazz Video Fix: Venissa Santi
Source:
The Latin Jazz Corner by Chip Boaz
Musical opportunities need to be grabbed when they arise, and sometimes those opportunities rarely become available. When a musician lives in our community, they perform often in easily accessible places. Since we realize that we can hear them perform regularly, we get our fill of their artistry on a reoccurring basis. These musicians become the bread and butter of our Latin Jazz experience, but we need to provide some variety to our live music repertoire. A particularly inspiring recording from ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Venissa Santi
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Venissa Santi's birthday today!
JAZZ MUSICIAN OF THE DAY Venissa Santi
Bienvenida First solo recording. To be released April 21st 2009 on Sunnyside records!! A bilingual album of jazz and Cuban standards, Afro-Cuban folkloric songs, Rumba with original songs in English, Boleros dressed in the blues, and jazz... more
Website | Videos | Articles
Follow Venissa Santi @ AAJ
Put AAJ's Musician of the Day ...
read more
"This music is truly refreshing to hear, each track takes the listener deeper into her world, from the beautiful Tender Shepherd, to the Columbia Pa' Miguel Angel. Venissa Santi is definitely a vocalist the world needs to check out!" —Doc Gibbs, percussionist/musical director of the Emeril Live Band "Bienvenida" es muy sabroso! Such a pleasure to listen to as a complete start- to-finish performance. Filled with many surprises. Venissa’s voice is mixed beautifully with a coy yet sultry nuance. As an old radio announcer I am impressed with her microphone technique. It is very intimate but perfectly controlled . The arrangements and musical selections are excellent and the band is perfect." —Stan Dunn, Radio KJAZ San Francisco/Slacker.com "Venissa Santi- is a refreshing spirit, an extraordinarily talented and diverse musician with a knack for making the unexpected so welcome, so understood. Bienvenida is not only a rich offering of gorgeous familiar and original melodies, it is a testament to the art of blending old and new wrapped in the warmth of her sensual voice. With her stellar supporting cast, Santi gives us new sound that defies borders, language and categorization. This album is a treasure, as is this gifted singer-songwriter." —Rebeca Mauleon, Latin Jazz Pianist/Author/Educator "Venissa brings an evocative fresh sound to Latin rhythms. Her compositions and arrangements are inflected with a jazz sensibility, adding texture and depth to her music. Definitely an album to have, and a voice to listen for!" —Elio Villafranca, Cuban Jazz pianist "...Venissa Santi of Philadelphia is excellent. I think we’re going to hear a lot from this young lady!" —Ruben Blades, rubenblades.com “When I hear a singer like Venissa Santi ...what I love is her audacity that in a song like this there doesn’t exist limitations, such that this is a Bolero and it should be played with bongos etc. so she breaks those standards and introduces it as a Blues... When music is made with a sense of adventure and creativity you actually could affect how people think in the world …what she is doing impressively is breaking stereotypes and that fills me up with so much satisfaction and so much energy to continue ahead, ...knowing that there are no routines and that things should be interpreted in a certain way. I would love to go to Chicago and see a blues player try to sing “Como Fue” it’s incredible. Her voice has a tone that is very original and very special. I believe you hear that voice and you won’t forget it” —Danilo Perez, Latin Jazz Pianist/Composer
Primary Instrument
Vocals
Location
Philadelphia
Willing to teach
Intermediate to advanced
Credentials/Background
Concentration in Jazz and Latin styles of singing and repertoire. Classical based, healthy, contemporary techniques for todays singer. Breath control, development of the "one voice." Vocal improvisation, ear training, vocal work outs, lyric interpretation, performance/mic technique (Stage and Studio), Chorus, Music Appreciation (kids), Afro-Cuban/rumba singing, partial list.
Clinic/Workshop Information
Karen Marguth
vocalsPhotos
Music
Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson
Videos
Venissa Santi
Location: Philadelphia
Instrument: Vocals
Born: May 10, 1978
