On February 21 the singer and composer of ethno jazz Sofia Rei performed on the stage of the Embassy of Latgale GORS, bringing some sun of South America to the winter of Latgale.
Singer, composer and producer Sofia Rei was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is now living in New York and that way bringing together influences two cultures: folklore, jazz and world music of South America and the sounds of electronic music.
Her professional career has started at Colon Theatre Children choir at the age of nine. She has studied classical solo singing at the Buenos Aires National Conservatory of Music as well as has been a participant of the National Youth Choir. Moved to the USA in 2001 where attending the New England Conservatory in Boston she started fulfilling her dream of jazz studies. Now in couple of universities Sofia is a teacher herself.
Sofia Rei has conquered hearts of the New York, London, and Spain etc. jazz lovers hearts. The last album “De Tierra y Oro” (From the land and gold) has achieved 1st place in the category of the world beat as the best album and the best song (La Gallera) of the prestige “Independent Music Awards 2013”. This is an international independent assessment of the best albums, singers/bands and songs. The prominent experts like Peter Gabriel, Tom Waits, Suzanne Vega etc. have been the members of its jury.
The singer herself describes the new album as the series of philosophic contemplation – songs that reflect wide mixes of the South American folklore and the sounds of modern jazz as well as her powerful voice in the forefront. When singing in Spanish Sofia heralds different stories – about the cockfights in Cartagena, nightmares in Buenos Aires, love letter coming from New York and the ghost from Andes mountains…
The journalist of the “New York Times” Phil Lutz says: “The way Argentine singer Sofia Rei leads her band, the passion and serenity, the alloy of Latin rhythm and jazz is explaining the reason all the audiences of New York loves her – from the Carnegie Hall to the informal clubs.”
