Kwasi Bruni Afro Cuban Ensemble

Kwasi Bruni is an Afro Cuban big band project led by Southern Cross University Contemporary Music Course Coordinator and bassist Dr Barry Hill and local Colombian musician Camilo Losada.

Kwasi Bruni was born from a series of jam sessions and backyard barbecues where South Americans and musicians interested in Latin music met to have informal “descargas” or jam sessions”.  

The music of Kwasi Bruni celebrates the Afro Cuban improvised big band sound of the early 60s led by pioneering Cuban double bass player Israel Cachao Lopez.

This music is part of the African American tradition of styles that were created through the fusion of western classical music and West African musical traditions that occurred during the slave trade in the slaving destinations of South America Latin America and North America

Specifically, Cuba and Havana have been pioneering cultural hotspots that formed the initial fusion of classical music and West African music to create the foundations on which jazz and blues and pop music have been formed.

This concert will features some fantastic improvised musicians from around the region and will be based around Camilo’s Afro Cuban style piano playing

Kwasi Bruni will be performing the music of the Latin American Mongo Santa Maria, Eddie Palmieri, and Tito Puente as well as some original tunes inspired by this amazing tradition.