Havana, Cuba. - The virtuosity that jazz requires has won many young Cubans acceptance in different scenarios, where talent and passion converge when hearing extraordinary musicians, like vocalist Zule Guerra. Her creativity and high musical range make her a high-carat show. Radio Cadena Habana had an exclusive dialogue with the singer-songwriter.
Having participated in the “Jojazz” contest has been decisive to your career. How do you remember that experience?
“It was a dream come true. Since my beginnings in music, I followed these contests. They were magical to me. I was very interested in participating and vowed to achieve it someday.”
When we talk to Zule Guerra, we are infected by her energy and optimism, especially when confessing the unsuspected twists of her life. Is it true that your life story is full of pleasant surprises?
“I have a very funny story. I studied basic piano at the “Alejandro Garcia-Caturla” Conservatory. Then I was admitted in “Vladimir Ilyich Lenin” Senior High School of Exact Sciences, and got a Degree in Biochemistry at Havana University. Nevertheless, I got all my musical knowledge from private professors of harmony, singing and piano accompaniment.”
Who does Zule Guerra recognize as her masters in jazz?
“I worked with maestro Bobby Carcasses, who helped me much with improvisation. I was also involved with trumpeter Yasser Manzano, whom I consider a school in itself. Playing with his project made me learn a lot. In addition, I demand myself to further improve everything I learn and as much as possible listen to the music of jazz players and instrumentalists. Other bands also helped me in my training, like “Las Canelas” and “Santo Tomas Conexion”, which was an introduction to jazz.”
Your excellent self-training, in addition to what you learned from true masters of the genre made it possible to achieve great notoriety in the “Jojazz” contest. What was the prize that you won at the event?
“In 2003, I participated in the senior category. I won the second prize in singing in the senior category, which is a great success, because singers and instrumentalists compete on equal footing. In the open category, I presented a single with two themes I composed: "A contratiempo en el Latin" and "Sin tu mar."
Will Zule Guerra keep taking her chances on jazz as a genre to sing and compose?
“Yes, it's what I like. But I think music is very broad, so I can do other genres. Jazz is a way of making music in general. It allows me to venture into all possible rhythms, because the idea is to work on the basis of arrangements and improvisation. Fundamentally, it is basic for singing, when it comes to feeling each theme and rendering it to the public.”
Being a singer, composer and leader of her own band: “Blues de Habana”, expand the possibilities of Zule Guerra, who after her first album, already announces her upcoming projects.
“The most immediate is a quartet work with trumpeter Yaser Manzano. I have other projects with electronic music, because I like to link jazz with everything that is World Music and New Jazz. In this sense, I am working with DJ Wichi Di Rafo.”
Radio Cadena Habana will closely follow Zule Guerra’s new projects, because she has proved that one of her many talents is the ability to persevere in search of her dreams.
Translated by Pedro A. Fanego
