Born on May 29, 1987 in Havana, bearing great musical heritage from her father and main inspiration, the Irakere’s founder drummer Bernardo Garcia. From an early age she had the opportunity to share with internationally prestigious musicians like Horacio Hernández (El Negro), Giovanny Hidalgo, Arturo Tappin and Roy Hargrove. From 2006 to 2011 she was a member of the all female Salsa band Anacaona, performing all through Cuba and on international festivals. She began to be more interested on jazz and started to work close together with jazz players like Alexis Bosch, Bobby Carcasés and Yasek Manzano; wich was instrumental on this part of her development as a performer. In 2012, she decided to launch her solo career taking her first steps as composer and bandleader with the project YISSY & BANDANCHA, a quintent whose core is to do fusion with jazz and various genres. She is now a regular guest on the most renowned festiva...
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Born on May 29, 1987 in Havana, bearing great musical heritage from her father and main inspiration, the Irakere’s founder drummer Bernardo Garcia. From an early age she had the opportunity to share with internationally prestigious musicians like Horacio Hernández (El Negro), Giovanny Hidalgo, Arturo Tappin and Roy Hargrove. From 2006 to 2011 she was a member of the all female Salsa band Anacaona, performing all through Cuba and on international festivals. She began to be more interested on jazz and started to work close together with jazz players like Alexis Bosch, Bobby Carcasés and Yasek Manzano; wich was instrumental on this part of her development as a performer. In 2012, she decided to launch her solo career taking her first steps as composer and bandleader with the project YISSY & BANDANCHA, a quintent whose core is to do fusion with jazz and various genres. She is now a regular guest on the most renowned festivals of Cuban music, Jazz Plaza, JoJazz, Ellas Crean, Havana World Music, etc. A side from the work with her project, she works extensively on new releases by renowned Cuban artists and bands like Interactivo, Alexis Bosch and Telmary, Gema Corredera and has worked with other artists like Kelvis Ochoa, William Vivanco, Yusa, Eme Alfonso, Baddi Assad and Omara Portuondo. Since 2014, Yissy is on the line up of Maqueque, a band led by Jane Bunnett, the well-known Canadian sax player. With this band, she has played on the most important festivals of Canada and the USA and recorded the álbum Jane Bunnett and Maqueque, awarded with a Juno on 2015 for Best Jazz Album. She begins 2015 recording Última Noticia her first album, and touring various US cities with her band YISSY & BANDANCHA. She imparted a Clinic on Cuban rhythms at Berklee College of Music, invited by prestigious drummer Terri Lyne Carrington. Última Noticia is one of the first records financed via crowdfunding platform from Cuba.
About YISSY & BANDANCHA: YISSY & BANDANCHA is more than a Cuban contemporary jazz band. It’s a quick safe look at a music that outlines Havana. It’s some sort of bastard child of Roy Hargrove and that line of Cuban jazz that is no longer under the thick veil of Irakere and Afro-Latin jazz but keeps a very Cuban sound. A volcano with boiling currents of jazz, Afrocuban rhythms and electronic music and when it explodes the air fills with a very distinct way of creating music. The simplicity in composing music while moving from Funk to popular Cuban music, R&B or Latin Jazz is the platform used by the pianist, bassist, drummer, trumpeter and DJ to display their amazing improvising skills. The unmistakably urban powerfully modern tones and tempos that distinguish YISSY & BANDANCHA are not a random or experimental result it is their identity, their own sound, a sound that changes with the city’s vibe.
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