Carlos Miyares

Carlos Manuel Miyares Hernández was born in Santiago de Cuba in the year 1980. He began his music studies at the age of seven at the ‘Escuela Vocacional de Arte José María Heredia’ (Vocational School of Art), specialising in the piano. After four years he switched to the saxophone and finished his tuition with teacher Raul Cordies, reaching elemental level in 1994. He then went on to study with tutor Julio César González at the Esteban Salas Conservatory, graduating in 1999.

He has collaborated with a great number of artists: Grupo Muralla, Alexis Bosch & Pasaje Abierto, David Álvarez & Juego de Manos, Augusto Enrique & Mambo Band, Manolito Simonet & su Trabuco, Juan Kemel & La Barriada, Bony & Kelly, Grupo To Mezclao, Chala Cubana, Bobby Carcassés, Interactivo, Pancho Céspedes, Orlando Valle ‘Maraca’, Yusa, Kelvis Ochoa, Harold López Nussa, Carlos Varela, Descemer Bueno, Xiomara Laugart, Zuccero and Chucho Valdés.

In 1998 he began his first tour in Jamaica with the group ‘Grupo Muralla’. They accompanied flautist Orlando Valle ‘Maraca’ and his band ‘Otra Visión’ on a tour in 2007 in Cuba. The first tour he did with Chucho Valdés in 2008 took him to the Jazz Festival in Marciac (France) sharing the stage with Paquito D’Rivera. The same year he performed with Bebo Valdés in the ‘Sala Pleyel’ in París together with the Chucho Valdés Band.
The first concert he staged as leader of his band, the Carlos Miyares Quartet, was at the ‘Festival Kasematten Little Havana’ (2009), in the Austrian city of Graz. The same year he did his second tour with Carlos Varela, featuring performances at the universities in Cuba and also participated with the singer at the ‘Concierto por la Paz’ (Peace Concert) in the public square ‘Plaza de la Revolución’ (Revolurion Square) in La Habana.

As a member of Chucho Valdés’ band, the ‘Afro-Cuban Messengers’ he peformed at a number of concerts & festivals: in 2010, the inaugural concert of the ‘Feria Internacional (International Fair) of Habano (Havana); the Villete Jazz Festival with musician Archie Shepp; performance of the ‘Black Mass’ with the ‘Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra’ directed by Wynton Marsalis; the presentation of his first solo album Chucho Valdés presents Carlos Miyares as composer, arranger & producer; he also won a Grammy Award for the Best Latin–Jazz Album with Chucho’s Steps. In 2012, he shared the stage with Concha Buika at the Carnegie Hall in New York and won the prize ‘Gran Premio Cuba’ disc the same year. A year later, he went on his first national tour with the group ‘Interactivo’ performing at Cuba’s main theatres, and released the CD Chucho Valdés presents Carlos Miyares at the ‘Teatro del Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes’ (National Museum of Fine Arts Theatre) in his native country. He also made his first appearance as the ‘Carlos Miyares Quartet’ performing at the closing concert at the La Plata Jazz Festival, sharing the stage with Bobby Carcasses.

In 2014, he celebrated the first anniversary as a quartet, and he is well known at the Plata Jazz Festival, for his participation in the groups ‘Irakere’ and ‘The Afro-Cuban Messengers’ and also recognised for his efforts towards the growth & progress of jazz in Cuba. In addition, he was chosen by the foundation ‘Fundación Santiago de Cuba’ for the dedication of the commemorative plaque for their native poet José María Heredia y Heredia.

Carlos Miyares has participated in more than forty albums and has performed live in about a hundred different music halls, jazz clubs & festivals.

Source drawn from: www.canariasjazz.com