ABOUT Tomas
Jazz is
an inclusive art-form that encompasses a vast array of musical genres: Afro
Cuban jazz, Brazilian jazz, Flamenco jazz, Bomba jazz, Iberian jazz Native
American Jazz, South African jazz and Bomba jazz, to name a few. It is this
versatility that inspires Tomas Peña's dedication and focus. He is a
journalist, chronicler, and an educator whose "mission" is to broaden the
public's understanding of music as a universal language and an agent for
social change.
Tomas
has dedicated the past twenty years to expanding his knowledge of jazz and
World Music through independent study, field work, and more recently, as the
Co-Editor of
Latin Jazz Network. Essentially, the
Network (www.latinjazznet.com)
is a labor of love that seeks to share its passion for the genre through the
use of artist profiles, interviews, CD and performance reviews, feature
articles, music news and an extensive archive of reference materials.
His
first feature article, "William Cepeda, His Roots and Beyond," was published
by Latin Jazz Network in 2000. Tomas quickly expanded his coverage to
covering the New York scene via record release events, panel discussions,
lectures, jazz festivals and movie premieres. In 2002, Editor Danilo Navas,
awarded Tomas the position of Co-Editor. In this capacity, he is responsible
for editing content, communicating with musicians, managers, promoters,
club-owners, record companies and staying abreast of the New York music
scene. More recently, Tomas' writing has taken on an international focus. He
recently conducted research on the jazz scene while in South Africa and
reported his findings in the article, "My Journey to South Africa."
Tomas
Peña has an affinity for artists on the rise. His ability to grasp and
convey the creative process and intent of new talent is driven by his firm
belief that, up-and-coming artists are the catalyst and future of the genre.
He has interviewed such up-and-coming artists as saxophonist Miguel Zenón,
who recently received wide acclaim for his CD, "Looking Forward," (Fresh
Sounds). In addition, Tomas has introduced such artists as percussionist
Arturo Stable and Cuban vocalist
Jessie Marquez and promoted many artists,
which include Dafnis
Prieto, pianist
Omar Sosa, pianist Luis Perdomo, guitarist
Ben Lapidus (and Sonido
Isleño), trumpet player
Tony Lujan and saxophonist/percussionist
Hilary Noble. In
addition, he has promoted Paquito D'Rivera's 50th Anniversary at Carnegie
Hall.
Tomas is a graduate of Empire State College (New York) and holds a
Bachelor's Degree in Journalism/Latin American Culture. He is a member in
good standing of the International Association of Jazz Educators; the
National Association of Hispanic Journalists, the Jazz Journalists
Association and is a former member of the Advisory Board for the New Jersey
Performing Arts Center (Newark, NJ). He is also a contributing writer for
the following web-based publications:
www.allaboutjazz.com,
www.latinjazzalive.org,
www.mundoafrolatino.org,
www.latinjazzclub.com,
www.anapapaya.com,
and
www.vinilemania.net.
Tomas is
currently preparing to embark on a career as an author. He is currently
conducting preliminary research for his first book. As always, Tomas'
mission is to educate the public and find new and creative ways to introduce
music to new audiences.
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